Oedipus Complex
by feshnie
Summary: Oedipus Complex, an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels towards his mother, combined with hatred to his father. NaruOC, SasuNaru. Slash, Mpreg, incest
1. An Unquestionable Favour

Disclaimer: I'm as unlucky as everyone

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, slight SasuNaru

Oedipus Complex

Feshnie

Chapter 1: An Unquestionable Favour

Uchiha Reigi had quite a weird birth setting. One where the mother was actually a man who used a jutsu to turn into a girl. He didn't mind it at first until he was seven years old. That year, he had overheard a couple of maids talking about him. One of them had said that she thought it was unacceptable for a boy to have men as parents and it was like discrimination against women. The maid in person happened to be someone he favoured at the time so he took the words to heart; for so, he hated his 'mother', feeling ashamed to even be near. Only on the eve of his tenth birthday that he accepted back his so called mother. A feeling of guilt at having ignored the person.

A different story went with his father though. He hated the man ever since he was small because the man despised his mother. He couldn't see any reason why the man would hate someone who had given an heir to the Uchiha clan at such a young age.

His 'mother' had conceived him at an early age after being tricked to drink a strong alcohol called absinth. He didn't know the full story because it was quite hard for his mother to explain it to him but what he knew was after that, his mother changed into a girl and, plainly put, fucked with his father with a cloudy mind. He didn't know if he should like the fact that his 'mother' didn't get an abortion.

Now a man of eighteen sat before his father, Uchiha Sasuke, listening to his father explaining how to use a particular dark jutsu. He forcefully tried to understand, succeeding for the genius that he was. The explanation ended after a mere 5 minutes and his father barked at him to be ready by dawn tomorrow to practice.

He left the room and quickly made his way to his 'mother's room. Upon reaching, he called for his mother.

"Naru-kaa-san," spoke Reigi with a soft voice.

"Come in, Rei," he heard and excitedly opened the door. His mother was sitting at the balcony with his lips quirked into a gentle smile. "Has your training ended?"

"Yeah… Oyaji-teme was rambling again," snickered the young Uchiha as he closed the door and padded to his mother's side. "What are you doing, Naru-kaa-san?"

"I just felt like watching the scenery today," replied his mother, patting the raven haired boy whom had taken a seat at the foot of his mother's chair.

"Did you see me? I was training with Oyaji-teme by the forest…"

"Yes. You looked like you did very well," praised his mother.

"I wish Oyaji-teme thought so too," said Reigi with a pout.

Remembering something, the younger boy stood up with a sheepish determined face.

"Naru-kaa-san… I had asked Oyaji-sama and he permits me to have a day off on my birthday. So… I… I hope I can spend that day with you. It's because last year I was at the Hidden Water Village, so I… so I… I…"

"I would be honoured to if nothing comes in our way."

"Thanks, Naru-kaa-san,"

That was his 'mother'. A man that once went with the name of Uzumaki Naruto now went with the name of Uchiha Naruko just for the sake of hiding his identity. He was a small, pale man who still looked considerably young and innocent despite being near 36 years old. Naruto had astounding blue eyes and blonde hair that reached his chest, which he liked to keep in a high ponytail.

Reigi was in denial of his feelings towards his so called 'kaa-san'. Deep down, he harboured a sexual desire towards his mother. Every time his mother gave him a kiss on the forehead, his heart would beat fast and heat would pool in the restricted area between his legs. Every hug would make his heart flutter, every touch made his skin burn. He was addicted to the physical contact his mother gave him.

He would dismiss the feelings with reasons that it must be because he had no one else to turn to except to his mother. His mother was everything to him. His mother was the only reason he still stayed at the manor house with his bastard of a father. He knew he was strong enough to escape but yet he still stayed because he realized he wasn't strong enough to bring his mother with him.

Night finally came and gave the mansion house a gloomy atmosphere. Reigi looked to his side and saw his mother, fast asleep and breathing in rhythm. Pink coloured his cheeks as he stared at the cute face. Calloused hand, result of years of training, reached up to touch the soft cheek of his mother. Eyelids fluttered open to release vibrant blue orbs.

"Rei, what is it?" asked his mother, sitting up and sliding closer to him.

"It's nothing," replied Reigi, smiling in the darkness. "Can I hold you tonight, Naru-kaa-san?"

"Sure, why not?" said Naruto, falling to rest in the arms of his son. To Naruto, this activity was like a ritual. Nothing seemed wrong because he slept with his son ever since the boy was a baby.

Reigi was high in cloud nine as he pulled his mother to his chest. His big hand came and began rubbing up and down the smaller man's back.

He watched avidly at his son who was training near the river. That was about the only thing he could do. Lately he had been feeling more tired than usual. It was probably the doings of Sasuke whom continuously fed him drugs that made him weak. The drugs sometimes made him think of negative thoughts that forbid him from leaving the confines of the mansion.

The door opened and submitted the devil himself. He tensed.

"Naruto."

He just nodded his acknowledgement, refusing to meet eyes with the cruel man. He felt hands descending on his shoulders. He closed his eyes tightly, willing the traitorous feelings he harboured for the man in question down.

"Go away," pleaded Naruto. He involuntarily shivered when he felt the man breathe down his neck. Hands that were placed on his shoulders started to slide down his arm.

"My son is getting stronger," spoke the man in his cold tone. "You know very well what to do."

In a swift movement, Sasuke had him turned to face each other. Coal eyes glared into blue orbs. Anxiety begun to overwhelm the blonde as lips descended on his own. It was over in a second. Cold air replaced the warm hands and he sank to the floor, stray tears escaping.

"Remember, Naruto," the man said, dropping a small wooden box on the man's lap. He sent a smirk with a thousand meanings as Naruto looked at the box, horrified. "You're best at convincing my son."

The blonde watched in silent as Sasuke exited the room. With a shaking hand, Naruto reached for a vase and threw it to the man with all his heart. It shattered as it hit the doorframe.

"I HATE YOU, TEME! I hate you! I hate you!" shouted Naruto, tears still falling freely. "I hate you… teme... but… I love you…"

In the hallway, Sasuke smirked to himself.

…

The evening wind gushed in through the open window. Two men sat at a round table, drinking tea. The smaller of the two had blonde hair that was tied in a high ponytail while the other had raven hair that separated in the middle and fell limp to brush slightly on his shoulder. Darker blue eyes belonged to this male as he stared adoringly at his 'mother'.

"How was your training?"

"Passed with brilliant colours," stated Reigi, smiling wider when the blonde gave him a 'well-done' look. "Can you believe Oyaji-teme left me to train on my own? That bakayaro Oyaji!"

A laugh escaped the blonde's lips. The grin that decorated Reigi's face couldn't have gotten any bigger than what he was showing at the moment. He liked it to see his mother laugh. To him, the rare sound of laughter coming from his mother seemed like a bird's twitter in a silent street.

Suddenly the blonde fell silent as a look of horror replaced the happiness.

Reigi turned and saw his father emerging from the overshadowed hallway. He quickly stood up and moved in a protective stance to shield his mother from his father's narrowed eyes.

"Oyaji-sama, is there something I can help you with? Very seldom you join our evening leisure activities. Very,_ very_ seldom," said Reigi, a hint of challenge in his voice.

Sasuke ignored his son and walked next to a terrified looking blonde. Naruto trembled slightly under the cold stare and his face visibly paled. Reigi felt extremely pissed when his father had the nerve to place a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Leave us," ordered Sasuke to the teen. Reigi hesitated but did as was told when his mother nodded.

The door clicked shut.

"Go away," mumbled Naruto stubbornly, despite trembling. He refrained from meeting eyes with the head of the Uchiha.

The hand on his shoulder was pulled away and he heard the sound of clothes rustling as Sasuke walked behind him. Seconds later, a necklace was placed around his neck. The necklace had a blue crystal dangling in between two silver bells.

"This… it's…"

"It will be returned to you if you are willing to complete 'it'."

"If I don't?"

"I'll have to force you and this… it will remain in my safekeeping."

Naruto looked at the necklace and touched it. Slowly, he nodded and immediately felt Sasuke secure it in place. He turned to look at the taller man and stared at the dark eyes as Sasuke lowered his face and kissed the pink lips belonging to Naruto. He griped the crystal and closed his eyes, returning the kiss.

The blonde felt slightly light-headed when the taller man swiped his tongue over his lips. He complied, opening his mouth to take in the eager tongue. A slight moan escaped him when he felt their tongues clash.

The door creaked and the two broke away to look at the intruder. Reigi stood petrified at the door, his face showing anger and jealousy.

"I did not call for you," said Sasuke, glaring dangerously at the young man.

"I was worried…" mumbled Reigi, his fists tightly clenched.

"Rei…"

"Disrespectful," muttered Sasuke so that only Naruto can hear him. The blonde was roughly shoved to the side as the dark-eyed man strode out of the room.

Reigi looked at the wooden floor, his face hidden. He audibly exhaled and left the room, leaving his mother alone in the big room.

There's a button down there that begs to be clicked so you can review me. Please?


	2. The Will of Him

Disclaimer: I'm as unlucky as everyone

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, slight SasuNaru

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the second installment. I hope I didn't seem to move the story too quickly or something…If there is something you don't understand, feel free to ask because I know I'm not good at explaining…that didn't sound right…

Oedipus Complex

Feshnie

Chapter 2: The Will of Him

Dusk had finally set in and two forms were on the bed. The smaller one was sitting, looking spaced out at a small wooden box. His hair, no longer in its ponytail, fell from his shoulders to curtain slightly around his face and his lips, still tingling from when he was last kissed, were slightly parted. The other, a larger man, was lying on his side, staring at the wall sulkily. A thousand ways to kill his father ran through his mind and neither one of them were logical.

"Rei, how long are you going to ignore me?" asked Naruto, finally looking away from the box and stared at his son's back. Reigi gave a start, his mind halting in the process of imagining his father's livers shoved up somewhere uncomfortable. "Because I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" asked Reigi, finally turning to look at his petite mother.

The moment their eyes met, Naruto blushed furiously and his eyes became wide in realization. Seeing this, Reigi sat up, curious. He repeated his question, crawling nearer to the blonde.

"Um… It's your father… he – he –" said the bright-blue-eyed man, looking uncomfortable.

"Okay, so Oyaji-teme wants something… continue," said Reigi, offering to place words for his mother. He instantly became nervous when his mother's cheeks continued to flush darker. He silently gulped and fought down his own blush at seeing a very adorable and once-in-a-lifetime expression on his mother's face.

"He – he – he wants to – to have –"

Naruto breathed in deeply.

"I know you're still young –"

Yes, he was only eighteen.

"– but your father –"

That teme! How dare he touch mother like that!

"– insists he wants a grandchild."

He could feel his jaw becoming slack.

"WHAT?!"

Naruto winced and looked to his right, willing his blush down. The small bell on his necklace tinkled as if reminding him of the order Sasuke had given.

"What do you mean? Why'd he want one?"

"His reasons were kept to himself."

"But – but – who's gonna be the bearer of my child?"

"Isn't it obvious?" A sudden chill was present in the room and the both of them looked at the doorway, Goosebumps riding up their skin at the feeling of the dark aura.

"Naruto will bear your child."

Reigi turned to his mother and saw the blush began to appear. It suddenly hit him, why Naruto would blush so much. The fact punched him in the face to the point of him –

"Rei, are you okay? Rei, talk to me!"

"How weak. Fainting over something like that."

…

Reigi opened his eyes to find anxious sea blue eyes peering down at him. He felt something cool on his forehead and reached to take it down.

"Are you feeling better now?" asked Naruto, taking the cloth from Reigi's offered hand. "I was quite shocked when you fainted like that. I'm sorry if the news gave you a shock."

"So it wasn't a dream after all," mumbled Reigi.

"I'm sorry," replied Naruto, turning to the bedside table to place the wet cloth. "I can understand if you don't want to do this. I'm sure I can convince your father to change his mind. So… don't worry, okay?"

"Naru-kaa-san, what is it?" asked Reigi, sitting up and staring at his mother, a frown on his face. "You look like you want to say something."

"It's just that… to be so selfish as to plan it out for you must make you feel bad, right? After all, every man would like to stir their own boat in life," said Naruto, looking extremely troubled, not meeting eyes with the teen. "So, I can talk to Sasuke for you. At least get you a woman."

"Naru-kaa-san…"

"So… so, don't hate me," said the blonde, water began to fill in his eyes as he remembered what it felt like when his own son hated him. "Please."

"Naru-kaa-san…" Reigi repeated. He was at a tremendous loss of words.

"I know it sound so selfish but I'm willing to go talk to him for your sake," pleaded the small man, feeling a great lump in his throat. The experience of eight years ago felt so heartbreaking to the fragile man and he swore to do anything he could not to repeat it. "Just tell me what your conditions are. I can fix all this for you. I'm sure all Sasuke wants is a grandchild."

Reigi could only gape as his mother broke down in front of him. He could understand why his mother would act this way. Without him, his mother was lonely. There was no one else to accompany Naruto and the blonde didn't have the strength to befriend the people around the huge mansion. His father was to be blamed for that. If it hadn't been for those 'medications' his father made the blonde swallow, Reigi bet his life that his mother wouldn't be in such a pale and fragile state.

"Please don't ignore me again," mumbled Naruto, looking down to hide his tears. His small hands clenched onto his baggy pants. "Please, Rei."

"Naru-kaa-san, I would never ignore you just because of this," said Reigi, reaching for his mother and pulled the sobbing form to his chest. "I love you too much to repeat the biggest mistake of my life."

He could feel the small, pale hands cling to his clothes.

"Thank you, Rei," said Naruto.

"And… and I'm okay with the arrangements and everything," said Reigi, looking at his mother's face, his cheeks sporting a faint pink. The blonde looked at him curiously and froze when his son started to close the distant between them. The kiss was soft and hesitant but it finally made Naruto realize the true meaning behind Reigi's 'I love you'. He looked into the dark blue eyes as if trying to find the truth.

"Rei," said Naruto breathlessly, pushing away from the dark-haired teen. He shook his head. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Naru-kaa-san, I really love you," confessed Reigi, looking deep into the bright blue eyes.

Naruto trembled slightly under the gaze. He truly was shocked because he never thought in a hundred years that Reigi was in _love_ with him. Sure, they were intimate and everything but that was because Reigi was his _son_. He never harboured anything other than a parenting love for the boy.

He was about to tell the boy off when the bell on his necklace emitted a small cling. As if a switch turned on, he realized it was better to play along because that would probably help Reigi to loosen up during their soon-to-be intercourse. He didn't really want to go talk to Sasuke because the man seemed too vicious to even dare try to consult with.

He dared a smile and felt his gut leave him when Reigi gave such a relieved expression. He stood on his knees and edged forward to embrace his son.

"I don't know what to say, Rei."

"Then don't… because I still want to live in my fantasy," said Reigi, sounding as if he was happy yet sad. He rested the left side of his face on his mother's chest and circled his arms around the lean hips.

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto, looking at the raven hair of his son.

In a swift movement, Reigi had Naruto pinned to the bed as the teen sat on all four, looking down at the shocked man. He bent down and swiped his tongue over the pale man's lips eliciting a shocked gasp. He then straddled the blonde's hips and started unbuttoning his mother's shirt.

"R – Rei!" shouted Naruto, panicking as he took hold of the hands.

"This is what Oyaji-teme wants, isn't it?" said Reigi, gritting his teeth. He continued unbuttoning the shirt when the blonde failed to protest. "This is what the man you love wants."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock and neither of them spoke for quite a while as the last button was undid. Reigi let his hands wander across his mother's flat stomach, in his heart the feeling of betrayed, anger and jealousy continued to rise. About a minute later, the smaller of the two finally spoke.

"At least let me change into a girl first," said Naruto, looking dejected and guilty. Tears began to form in his eyes as his hands began to form the hand seal.

Reigi enclosed the pale hand within his own.

"Before that, tell me Naru-kaa-san, how can a bastard like him get your attention? Why him?"

Naruto looked away. "That's none of your business."

"Why won't you tell me? Why him?" asked Reigi, feeling his heart beating in his chest. His grip on the thin wrists tightened but the blonde didn't even give a flinch, face still turned away. "What is it in him that attracts you?"

"I don't know," replied Naruto, finally turning towards Reigi. There was a kind of honesty in it that Reigi felt a knot forming in his stomach as the blonde opened his mouth to speak. "I just love him; regardless of how he treats me."

Reigi had to shut his eyes to will the tears away. He felt as if someone had dropped his heart and shattered it.

"I don't get it…"

"You don't have to," whispered Naruto. "No one can understand one person accurately."

The night turned out a bit gloomy than before as rain clouds covered the sky, promising the area around it a nice bath. Rough winds rattled the glasses on the mansion windows and thunder slashed across the sky.

Hands interlaced with each other, Reigi brought out all the lust he had been harbouring for his mother out on the willing pale man.

Reigi woke up with the feeling of his mother's privates pressed against his thigh. Realizing this, he quickly climbed off the bed, already feeling the need for a cold shower, and searched for his missing clothes. He heard a small moan and a fumble of cloth while in the process of wearing his shirt and nearly received a nosebleed at seeing his mother stretch, wearing nothing but his birthday suit.

A second later, the blonde seemed to realize his lack of clothes and the presence of his hormone-driven son. He scrambled for the bedspread, his face a bright red.

"Good morning, Rei," mumbled the blonde, pulling the bedspread to his nose.

"Good morning," smiled Reigi, dropping his pants and climbed back onto the bed. He gently pried the cover from the unresisting hands and placed a gentle kiss on his mother's lips. "I'm sorry I didn't give you the chance to turn into a girl."

"It didn't cross my mind either," mumbled the older man.

Reigi continued to kiss the man and Naruto shyly complied. From gentle kisses, it suddenly turned into sucking, nibbling and biting. It would have turned into a very heated snog session had a maid not drop her tray of breakfast for Naruto out of shock.

The shocked girl quickly bowed her apology and collected what was left of the food to bring back to the kitchen. Naruto felt so much embarrassment that he could feel his head spinning.

"Humph! That was so uncalled for," muttered Reigi, pulling on his pants. With a light kiss on his mother's forehead, he headed down with the promise of bringing breakfast for his mother himself.

He headed down to the kitchen and ordered the cook to prepare food while he munched on an apple. He reminisced about the night before as he licked his lower lip. Since there hadn't been any kind of intake of alcohol, he successfully gave himself an erection when he recalled the noises his mother made as he thrust into the small man.

His thoughts were broken by an aura of pure evil. He glanced at the door and saw his father leaning against the doorframe.

"I'm assuming you had fun last night," said his father with a smirk.

Reigi nodded stiffly.

"Such racquet in bed," Reigi heard the older man mumble as he left the room. He felt scarlet colour his cheeks.

"Oyaji-sama! There is something I want to ask you, if you don't mind," blurted Reigi. He watched the man stand still and understood that it was a sign for him to continue. "Why do you want Naru-kaa-san to bear my child?"

"…" Silent reigned for a while inside the large dining room as the current head of the Uchiha clan turned to face his son. "The same reason I had him bear you."

Reigi's eyes widened a little. He could have sworn his father explained why his mother had to be Naruto once.

"It's because Naru-kaa-san had a strong will that you hoped was passed down to me. A strong will to succeed and the absence of the will to quit," muttered Reigi, more to himself than to the other occupant of the room. He saw the smirk ride higher on his father's face. "The combination of genes, the sharingan and the strong will that even you failed in your youth would make a strong child."

Though quite true, Reigi still got punched by his father who had suddenly appeared next to him. The apple he had been biting rolled under the dining table as he was forced to the wall.

"I _have_ strong will," growled Sasuke, acid dripping from his tone. "There was just no other suitable person to bear you."

"Of course you had strong will. A strong will to deceive people," muttered Reigi, rubbing the cheek that had come in contact with the fist.

Before he could dodge, a second punch landed on his other cheek.

"Teme," mumbled Reigi, wiping the blood that came from the cut on his lip. "But Oyaji-sama… I was wondering… How was Naru-kaa-san before I was conceived? What was between the two of you?"

"…" Only silence met his ears as he stared at his father straight in the eyes.

"I want to know why he loves you so much," explained the teen, his brows furrowed together. "Tell me."

Sasuke turned his back against his son and proceeded to walk out of the room.

"Oyaji-sama! Please tell me!" begged Reigi, fist clenched tightly.

"Is he?"

Reigi gritted his teeth together, feeling ashamed suddenly at revealing his mother's weakness to the devil.

"Forget it," said Reigi, turning away. He felt his father leave the room. He leaned heavily at the wall and slid down dejectedly. "Forget it…"

…

About ten minutes later, Reigi bounded up the stairs, a tray full of food to bring to his mother. The door was ajar when he reached the room. Feeling that something was out of place, Reigi nudged the door open with his shoulder. He nearly dropped the tray at the sight in front of him.

On the bed was Sasuke, his hand griping Naruto's arm. Frightened and looking paler than usual, the smaller man looked like an abused child under the cold stare. Especially with the over-sized shirt that Naruto had obviously put on hastily because all the buttons were undone.

"Let go," shouted Naruto, his eyes wide and alarmed. "Let go, you monster!"

Everything fell silent for a moment as if time stopped when Sasuke slapped Naruto with the back of his hands. The blonde was forced to the floor from the impact of the action. Reigi stood still, forgetting to breathe for a moment as the scene unfolded before him.

"You will do so as I order you!" shouted Sasuke, his voice full of superiority and command that even Reigi felt the urge to shrink back into the hallway. He fought the urge and slammed the tray on the dresser, earning him the attention of his parents.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Reigi, the volume of his voice nearly matching his father's.

"You have no right to question Me." although it didn't look like Sasuke was shouting, the voice seemed to be loud and bounced off the walls of the room.

"I have all the right to know as your son!"

"Rei…" a trembling voice surfaced before Sasuke could throw back a reply, catching the teen's attention. "Stop it. Please don't shout…"

"Naru-kaa-san…"

"Please leave, Sasuke," said Naruto, standing from the floor with his head bent. He tugged on the shirt so that the shirt didn't fall off of his small form. "I'll do it. Just leave him out of this. He's got nothing to do with it. So, please leave."

Reigi quickly made his way to his mother when his father showed signs of leaving. He pulled the shaky small man into his arms and tried to ease the trembling. He said words of comfort and rubbed his mother's back.

-----------------

Reviews:

**fluffy's cutiepie**: it will be explained later…so bear with me okay?

**Akirakun17**: Well, I did get this idea from a dictionary…who else does right? I will try my best to describe in more detail but I'm not that much experienced. So, bear with me as I gain the experience in writing in detail. Kyu kyu!

**Kma3000**: Sorry about killing your hopes but had it not been for what Sasuke ordered, Naruto would have rejected Reigi. But don't let that discourage you from reading my fic! Onegaishimasu! I'm sure Naruto will grow feelings for the boy after a while

**jesters pet oriole**: Sasuke doesn't really care for Naruto the way Naruto wants him because all he wanted was an heir that was strong. Sasuke just cared enough to be able to manipulate and use Naruto.

**Ikioi**: You make me blush. I try my best to please the readers because I get frustrated myself when I read errors in other stories and besides, I don't have a BETA.

And thanks a lot: **Katie**, **Kayvy**, **Weirdest**, **sumoko**, **shiro-Hime**

Arigatou Gozaimasu minna-san! Please continue to comment about any errors or improvements that you think would help this story out. Constructive criticisms are welcomed even though I get hurt by it but I will try my best to swallow it up and produce a much better chapter in the future. Flames will hurt because it is hot, so don't play with fires. Till then, mata ne!


	3. Believing in the Moon

Disclaimer: I'm as unlucky as everyone

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, slight SasuNaru

A/N: First of all, Kyu kyu! Second, read and enjoy! Third, review please!

Oedipus Complex

Feshnie

Chapter 3: Believing in the Moon

"_Sasuke, what's happening to me?" cried Naruto, looking at the puddle of blood that flowed from between his legs. A great pain could be felt at the part where the baby should have formed. He couldn't help but cry as the pain began to increase._

"_What did you do?" shouted Sasuke, pulling him by the hair so that they were looking at each other._

"_I don't know. My body, it suddenly changed back into a man and this happened," said Naruto, tears falling freely. The dark-haired man let go of his hair and he fell in the puddle of his own blood._

"_Your body can't withstand all the amount of chakra for too long," mumbled Sasuke, his face serious and deep in thought. "Even with the Kyuubi's chakra, it has been nearly three months of continuous chakra usage. Even though, your chakra replenishes itself in one night, there would be no way it could do it continuously in this situation."_

"_What does it mean?" asked the blonde, clutching at the part under his stomach._

"_You're suffering from miscarriage. The change killed the thing."_

_---_

Reigi played with a strand of blonde hair as he waited for his mother to wake up. He had hoisted them onto the bed after his mother passed out. Now Naruto was lying peacefully on his chest as he ran his fingers through the mass of bright hair. Minutes had ticked by rather slowly but he was sure that the breakfast he had brought up had turned cold.

A low moan escaped the parted lips of the older man as Naruto stirred in his son's arms. Reigi gave a start, his attention immediately on his mother. He looked down at the pale face, a tinge of purple was apparent on his mother's cheek.

"Rei? What happened?" asked his mother, sitting up from his position and tugging on the shirt more securely over his bare body. He scanned the room slowly, waiting for his son to respond.

"I'd like to know myself," said the taller man, manoeuvring his leg so that he was now sitting cross legged behind his mother.

A shaky hand touched the spot that had been abused just earlier on his cheeks. Reigi had to stop himself from reaching out for his mother as Naruto stepped off of the bed, his hand still on his cheek. His gaze fell on the bed and he heard distinctly the sound of the bathroom door being opened before closing. A small click sounded right after, telling Reigi that the bathroom door was locked from inside.

With a frustrated huff, he let his body drop onto his side making the bed creak in protest under him. He chewed on his lower lip, a habit he developed in since he was small when he was frustrated or angry.

He didn't need to be any smarter to know that his mother was silently distancing with him. If it had been any other day, his mother would smile up at him after waking up, not caring if it had been after another abuse from his father or not. But now, what were filled in his mother's face were caution, fear and maybe a slight distrust.

If it had been any other day, his mother wouldn't have locked the door. It was only if his father was present in the room was the lock any useful. The need to crush the lock was building up in him.

He heard the shower being turned on.

Reigi released his bruised lip to let out a deep sigh. If it had been any other day, his mother would try his best to conceal his pain.

He began to regret ever confessing.

…

Naruto stared at his flat tummy. His previous memory coming back to him making him crouch on the cold floor, his slender fingers balled in a fist and were pressed between his thighs and stomach.

He never told Reigi about the miscarriage. He was always afraid the boy would think differently of him for killing his supposed-to-be elder sibling. Like any other only child, Reigi had once asked him, when he was 5-years-old, that he wanted a brother or sister to play with. Naruto felt knots form in his stomach at the innocent inquiry. He would have liked to but he didn't think Sasuke would have agreed.

He had thought right when, on the same day, Reigi had run into his room sporting a bright bruise on his cheek. Naruto worriedly asked who had done it while he tended to the tender flesh. Sniffling and nibbling on his lower lip, Reigi mumbled, "Oyaji-sama." When asked the reason behind the slap, Reigi gave an indignant huff and began to rant about how he felt lonely and only asked Sasuke if he could have another brother. Naruto once again felt the knots forming.

He ran his free hand through his soaked hair. He felt heat rolling down his cheeks amidst the cold water.

Reigi probably no longer wanted a sibling. His son probably just wanted him now.

The stream of tears increased as Naruto clamped a hand over his mouth to cover his sobs. He was confused, afraid and felt lost. He didn't know how to react now after finding out Reigi actually loved him more than he should.

It all felt wrong. What he was doing with Sasuke and with Reigi. Since when had his life taken a wrong turn to the path of sin?

"_I can give you more than the world can offer, Naruto."_

His eyes widened at the sudden memory and finally gave up crouching to huddle into the small corner in the bathroom. He pressed his face into his palms and tried his best to rid himself of the memory that was silently engulfing him.

"_What?"_

He no longer wanted to muffle his sobs.

"_Myself."_

He heard a light knocking on the wooden door and heard Reigi's voice. He couldn't decipher what his son was saying but from the tone, he knew the boy was worried.

He pushed himself up and let the water run over his tear-streaked face for a few seconds before turning the shower off and padding slowly towards the door. He grabbed a towel and tied it around his waist before unlocking and opening the door to find a worried Reigi chewing on his bottom lip.

"_As if that's enough, you bastard."_

Naruto couldn't stop himself from smiling at the look of helplessness his son was showing to him. The sin he shared with Reigi will never be the same as how he shared with Sasuke. This sin he will begin to finally accept will always be filled with love. He was sure of it.

…

Nights with a full moon had always found a sweet spot in Naruto's heart. He liked how something so small could give a huge effect to its surrounding. Without the moon's light, everything else would look much darker, much gloomier and much lonelier. But the moon would gradually begin to get covered day after day by darkness, as if the shadow that covered it slowly began to eat at its life.

The sound of a door being opened made him turn around to see Reigi smiling at him, his hair wet from just having a bath. The smile was returned with Naruto's 'motherly' ones that made Reigi flush a faint colour of scarlet. The door clicked shut and the eighteen-year-old walked over to a vacant chair to drape the wet towel over the back of it.

Naruto left his post on the veranda to stand by the door, just watching his son pull on a black shirt and dark blue pants. The small man then reached for a nearby comb and padded to his son's side.

"Rei, let me," Naruto began, gesturing with the comb. The taller boy took a seat and stared out through the open window as he felt delicate fingers play with his hair. The thin see-through curtain that covered the opened window played gently against the night wind.

Minutes passed in silence as Naruto made the simple task longer by making small braids in the back. Reigi, who was just content on the feeling of those fingers moving through his hair without knowing the real truth, finally broke the silence by letting out a sigh.

"What is it, Rei?" Naruto asked curiously, his fingers still busily making the sixth braid.

"It's just…you," Reigi answered in a low tone. It nearly slipped past Naruto's ears had it not been the silent night. The pale fingers slowed their ministrations.

"What about me?" there was a hurried tone as Naruto worked on undoing all the braids and combing back his son's hair to its normal way.

"I thought for sure you would start avoiding me."

Naruto finally let go of his son's hair and walked to the dresser to place the comb.

"It's getting late. You need to get up early, right Rei?" He said as he walked to the bed, his voice wavering slightly as he tried to divert the topic. He was fixing the crumpled covers when strong arms encircled from behind.

"Don't try to change the subject, Naru-kaa-san," whispered Reigi, his mouth touching the tip of the blonde's left ear. The hands that were in midair released the bedding and let it fall to his side.

"I just don't want anything to change," said Naruto, turning around and detaching himself from his son. He looked into his son's midnight blue eyes, comprehension dawning slightly in the overshadowed face.

"Isn't it too late for that?" asked Reigi, pressing on his mother's shoulder and guiding them back. Naruto's blue eyes widened in shock and disbelief as the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed, making him trip and pull the taller man with him. They fell unceremoniously, Reigi on top of Naruto.

"R – Rei, get off me," the blonde desperately struggled to push his son away but the young man continued to pin the blonde to the bed "Please…"

Reigi finally pulled away far enough to stare at his mother's face. The bright blue eyes belonged to the older man was hidden behind eyelids but water was wetting the long lashes. He released one of his hands and cupped his mother's cheeks.

"Then tell me, Naru-kaa-san," began Reigi, letting his fingers ghost over his mother's cheeks to his neck. "What made you change your mind?"

Naruto kept a straight face even when Reigi harshly pulled him into a kiss, impatience finally overwhelming the young boy at his mother's unresponsiveness. He didn't struggle like he did before, Reigi found out after a thorough exploration of his mother's mouth. He pulled away slowly and stared at the pale face under him. Dark blue eyes widened by a fraction at the look of resolve in his mother; something that was rarely ever seen in the petite man.

He retreated from the prison he had created, suddenly realizing what he had done. His face turned away in shame as his mother too, left his position on the bed. At first, it looked like his mother was about to come his way but as they were an arm's length apart; the man sidestepped him to walk to the veranda.

"Rei, you know I like the full moon, right?" asked Naruto, a warm smile on his lips as he turned to face his bewildered son.

"Yeah, but you hate it when it starts to get covered," the younger man took cautious steps towards his mother, seeming as if he was suspicious of who the blonde really was.

"Do you know why?" Reigi just shook his head and Naruto turned to the bright object hanging amongst the black skies.

"It's because it keeps covering the moon. It keeps tainting its purity," explained Naruto, his eyes still transfixed to the moon. "Just like someone I know."

At this, Reigi gave a start, whirling his head from the moon to his mother. Tentatively, he asked, "Who?"

"Sasuke," Naruto breathed out as a chilling wind swept over them both. "But you know what Rei? It doesn't really matter that the darkness keeps closing in over the moon because it'll light back up. Slow, but it will definitely light back up."

Naruto turned to lock eyes with his son and Reigi didn't need anymore explanation from his mother to understand. Slowly, but certainly, his mother would open up to him; give him a chance.

Reigi leaned lower, hovering very close to his mother that he could feel every breath his mother exhaled. A small whisper of the one word that Reigi wasn't accustomed with but felt linked slipped from between his mother's dry and cold lips before they kissed, under the full moon.

"Dattebayo…"

-----------------

A/N: I'm sorry it took some time but I had a lot of other things happening around me. My grandmother just passed away about a week ago. That aside, I want to apologize if this chapter seemed a little rushing and has errors. It was completed at 4:28 AM and I think I only managed to pull through a half hour sleep.

Reviews:  
**Weirdest**: Thanks for sticking around to read the second chapter. Hehe…but what if the grandchild _doesn't_ know that Reigi came from Naruto? Okay…I shouldn't give anything away yet. It would kill the suspense. "Curse of the Golden Flower" eh? Interesting…  
**Fuyutsuki-kun**: Thank you to you too for reading it! Yeah…I don't really plan to make this humorous but Reigi did get a little of Naruto's traits of being childish at times. Kyu kyu!  
**Roboguy45**: I was a little stunned by your review…the use of unintelligent words made me wonder if it was one of the rumoured flames. But anyway, if you read a small part in chapter 2 where Reigi asked Sasuke why he wanted Naruto on the job, you _might_ understand about 'him wanting incest in his family'.  
**ObsessedReader**: I love you for loving it! Oh…what is Oedipus Complex about actually? I just read it in a dictionary so I'm curious about the history behind it!  
**fluffy's cutiepie**: And I feel drenched with happiness!  
**Ikioi**: Thanks and sorry if it seemed a bit fast-paced. I can't seem to stop myself. Just look at this chapter. I'm starting to all into writing depression again T.T  
**Akirakun17**: You…made me realize something. AAAHH!!! I didn't explain about that Naruto-has-to-bear-Reigi's-baby thoroughly in this chapter!!! ToT…I will try my best to improve my writing skill so please bear with me.

And also thanks to: **Phiktoriya**, **aloukou101**, **kma3000**, **fluffy-lover82192**,** rozengrass**, **Fluffety**, **cheza'flower'silver'wolf**(Hey, do you by any chance watch Wolf's Rain?)

Arigatou Gozaimasu minna-san! Please continue to comment about any errors or improvements that you think would help this story out. Constructive criticisms are welcomed even though I get hurt by it but I will try my best to swallow it up and produce a much better chapter in the future. Flames will hurt because it is hot, so don't play with fires. Till then, mata ne!


	4. My Heart Beats

Disclaimer: I'm as unlucky as everyone

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, slight SasuNaru

A/N: First of all, Kyu kyu! Second, read and enjoy! Third, review please!

Oedipus Complex

Feshnie

Chapter 4: My Heart Beats

_She was already five months along and her stomach was already showing. She looked at the IV drip attached to her hand and frowned when she noticed it was full. When had it been changed? The question popped in her mind as she struggled to sit up._

_The sound of confident footsteps coming from the hallway made her turn sharply towards the door making some of her tousled blonde hair slip past her shoulder. A man with dark hair entered and she cast a small smile, her sudden energy leaving her._

"_Hey Sasuke," she greeted, flipping her hair back and turning her attention away from the father of the baby. The scenery outside her window was beautiful with a stream passing under a wooden bridge surrounded by lush grass and a clear blue sky._

_She didn't need to turn to know Sasuke had approached her and taken a seat on the bed. Her clothes were untied and pulled down to reveal her left shoulder. She gazed at the blue sky as a small tinge of pain made itself known along with the insertion of a needle. She didn't even flinch when wet cotton was placed over her needle wound._

_She was about to pull her shirt back when a warm hand covered her own and Sasuke lowered his head to trail a small path of kisses down her naked shoulder. She shivered lightly before releasing her shirt and letting Sasuke push her down the bed. They shared a brief kiss before the young Uchiha continued to trail kisses back to his neck. She shivered and released a sigh._

_Letting her eyes wonder as the man continued lower, she looked at the IV drip again._

"_Sasuke, when can I stop using the medications?" she asked while her hand snaked to the man's back when Sasuke left her neck for her lips. Their gazes met and she suppressed a shiver at the man's cold look._

"_You won't, Naruto," was the answer after a while. The blue eyes widened slightly. "Not as long as you're bearing this. Not as long as you're in this place. Never as long as you want to be with me."_

---

Naruto felt at peace once again as he ran his hands through Reigi's dark locks. The two of them were enjoying the evening air on the bed after Reigi had finished his daily training. The blonde was leaning comfortably against the wall while Reigi had taken up the space on his left, body turned to face the darkening sky. It nearly felt as if nothing had happened the last couple of days and that his son was still the innocent little boy that was hugging him around the waist every time he mastered a new jutsu.

"How was your training, Rei?" he asked, ritually. He patiently waited for his son to answer, running his fingers repeatedly through the young man's hair.

"I did well for sure," Reigi replied, a hint of shameless pride in his voice. "Oyaji-teme is fighting more seriously now. I swear he's even started to pant by the time I'm through with him"

"That's good," Naruto replied. "I bet you'll even land a kick on his shins by tomorrow."

"You bet!" Reigi answered, staring up into his mother's face to see the motherly smile Naruto always wore in front of him. Just for him.

"I'm proud of you," said the older man, leaning down to kiss the tan forehead as an act of reward. Darker cheeks coloured slightly before turning to the open balcony once more.

"Maybe one day, I'll get you out of here, Naru-kaa-san," Reigi said, turning seriously, his voice a tone lower.

"These walls have senses, Rei," Naruto warned the boy, his fingers skimming through the dark hair once again. "Ears that can hear even the heartbeat of the wind. Eyes that can see even the smallest dust and skin that can feel even the softest of feathers."

"I know," Reigi said, pouting at no one. With a sigh, he got up from his position and turned towards his mother. "That's why I fear they sense more of you than I ever did."

Something indecent had suddenly crossed the blonde's mind and made the pale face flush a cute tint of pink. Reigi, who understood a second later that what he had said was taken the wrong way, unconsciously imitated the flushed state his mother was in.

"I – I didn't mean it like what you're thinking!" Reigi tried to explain, flinging his hands around. "I – I meant that I hoped I've felt you more than they felt!"

Apparently, what the boy had said made the face flush darker as Naruto started to fidget uncomfortably. Reigi had without a doubt realized this and revised what he had said.

"I meant to say that I hoped I know you more than what they know!" The poor man grew increasingly agitated at how wrong the words he made sounded.

"Never mind, Rei," Naruto interjected. The smaller man moved to get off the bed. "I think I know what you mean."

Reigi buried his blushing face into the pillow and yelled his frustration into it after hearing the bathroom door click shut.

He hoped he didn't seem like a pervert in front of his mother.

…

By eight o'clock that night, Naruto had finished his dinner and was just waiting leisurely for his son to return from his weekly night session with Sasuke. He was clad in nothing more than his son's oversized long-sleeved shirt that reached above his knees.

It seemed to be his recent obsession to don on large shirts, namely his son's, at night as a kind of alternative for his pyjamas. To him, it felt quite 'breezy'.

A knock on the door broke his little musings as Naruto called out a, "Come in, Rei" to the person on the other side of the door. As expected, his son entered with a bright grin on his face as if he was excited. 'As usual.'

Reigi immediately filled his half of the bed with a graceless flop and was content to stare at his mother while the petite male went about preparing for bed.

"How did you do?" started Naruto, tugging his ponytail out in front of the wooden framed mirror that hung by the dresser.

"I can't say I did my best but I managed to keep Oyaji-teme's temper in check," replied Reigi, smirking as a memory popped in his mind. "It's not like I'll ever manage to get that serious stick out his –"

"Rei," Naruto snapped with a horrified tone, turning to lock eyes with his son. "Don't say such crude words."

"But – but I didn't even say anything offensive yet."

"You were implying, Rei. That counts as well," the man retorted, a small smile playing on his light pink lips.

Maybe things were beginning to fall back into place, the blonde mused to himself as slender fingers ran through blonde hair to somewhat straighten the pile.

With a last tug of blonde locks, Naruto placed the comb on the dresser and padded to the bed. Midnight blue eyes followed his mother's ministrations until the older man climbed into bed and pulled the blanket over a thinly covered body.

With a small puff of his breath, Reigi reached over to the side-table and switched off the light. He turned to face his mother and was worried to see that his mother seemed to be trying to become one with the blanket.

In other meanings, Naruto was far colder than the warmth the blankets could supply.

Without as much as an invitation or warning, Reigi slid closer to his mother and pulled the man to his warm chest. He could practically feel the smaller man deflate against him and clung to his shirt, seeking more of the forbidden warmth. In his mind, he did a weird dance that portrayed how happy and excited he was feeling to have his mother feel so at ease when with him.

To be truthful, he was a little anxious at how things would turn out when he shared the breath-taking kiss under the full moon. He had half expected the blonde to shy away or become a little uncomfortable. A little reserved at most.

But instead, Naruto had treated him like usual, with no scorn, no deceit, no awkwardness and no hate.

'_It doesn't really matter that the darkness keeps closing in over the moon because it'll light back up. Slow, but it will definitely light back up.'_

Reigi rubbed calloused hand over the small back and pressed his chin on the flowing blonde hair. The tip of his thumb suddenly hit an unfamiliar texture around the base of Naruto's neck and he tugged, causing the bells on the necklace to emit a sudden cling.

Also shocked from the sudden tug, Naruto pushed away slightly to be able to send a questioning glance at his son. A pale hand automatically rose to finger the diamond hanging between the silver bells.

"What is it, Rei?" asked his mother, blue eyes full of curiosity.

"I noticed before but forgot to ask," Reigi started slowly, gently taking the clear stone from the smaller hands. "Where'd you get this? I don't remember you ever wearing jewelleries, Naru-kaa-san."

"Sasuke gave it to me," Naruto said hurriedly, returning to his son's chest. "As a gift."

"Oh," Reigi mumbled, gritting his teeth at the mention of the bastard's name. He didn't inquire anymore as he continued rubbing up and down the lean back. Naruto bit his lip before willing himself to sleep.

…

Naruto, for once since nearly a year, woke up the same time Reigi did. Dawn was approaching and he was silently watching Reigi prepare for his ritual training with Sasuke. Appropriate clothes were donned, weapons were attached and dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, the young man looked prepared to save a princess from a group of jounins.

In the blonde's still sleep-hazed mind, he pictured a dramatic fight between Reigi and a group of dramatic ninjas as Reigi dramatically defeats them all and approached a dramatic looking tower where he dramatically called out for the fair princess. A dramatic second later, a fair dramatic lady would dramatically look down at him and swing her dramatic blonde hair over her shoulder as Reigi would dramatically call out –

"Naru-kaa-san!" Reigi called once again, finally managing to pull his mother's attention. "Saa… I thought I'd at least get a good luck kiss before I head down to defeat Oyaji-teme."

"Ah, sorry, I was daydreaming I guess," Naruto mumbled embarrassedly, getting out of the tangle of bed sheets to stand before his sturdy son.

Reigi leaned down slowly as Naruto started to lean up. As far as usual counts, Naruto would give a peck on the tan cheeks and wish his son a good luck. Reigi however, thought different with how they had progressed over the week. Holding the other's chin in his hand, he tipped the head back gently and captured the pink lips with his own darker ones.

He felt a gasp against his mouth as the situation registered in his mother's mind. Shyly, he poked a tongue briefly into the open mouth and felt their tongues pressing together. A jolt of excitement rushed through his veins when Naruto responded, opening his mouth wider.

He added more pressure into the kiss and pulled the smaller body against his.

There was a very evident beating against his chest a few seconds later and Reigi pulled away slightly, lingering to peer into his mother's eyes. Naruto was blushing cutely with his fist gripping lightly onto the young man's shirt and was obviously not meeting his son's eyes

After a small peck on the flushed cheeks, Reigi left the room with a playful smirk on his lips. He will never forget the feeling of his mother's heart beating against his chest.

He liked to think his mother was a shy lover.

He just hoped he was right.

-----------------

A/N: I haven't got time to re-read the whole thing so there's a high possibility that there are errors everywhere. You see, I'm at a friend's house and she's not really a fan of yaoi…so yeah… Anyway! I'm sorry for the delay! Please forgive me. I'm with the students committee for the English fest at my school so I've been pretty busy since the beginning of July.

Reviews:  
**Itachi'slover**: Oh, before I answer you, I wanna say, I like your penname! Uh…yeah…about the Sasuke turning good thing, you'll just have to wait and see.  
**ObsessedReader**: Kya thanks for the explanation! Now I get it…so it's not really the same as what I first thought…but anyway, what's done is done, I wouldn't know what title to replace this story anyway and I don't plan to. Maybe this could be Reigi Complex? Hmm…  
**Akirakun17**: Ah well I'm really a person who moves on with life easily. I've already experienced the lost of my father and step-father anyway… Oh, sorry for rambling. Yes, Bingo! We have a winner! Naruto's definitely starting to accept his son! I wish I could shower you with kisses because I feel like I've managed to finally be able to explain stuff!  
**fuyuhime**: It just didn't seem appropriate to suddenly make Sasuke pop-up because Naruto has been living most of the time by Reigi's side instead of Sasuke's and besides, he has other stuff to do than destroy Reigi and Naruto's bonding time. Yes, Naruto is trying to love Reigi.  
**moi**: I love you! Daisuki! That's definitely the wanted constructive criticism that I've been looking for! I take biology too but it wasn't by interest so I hardly pay attention in class. But the thing about the alleles and the genes did slip a little in my brain during class. I will try to bend around the rules a bit and make some kind of AU power. Thank you!  
**fluufy's cutiepie**: Wow… you have made me feel so darn special that I want to cuddle you so much. I hope you're happy with this one although I must say I'm not really content with this chapter because I was rushing through the story and it was all a blur.

And also thanks to: **darktulip**, **fluffy-lover82192**, **aloukou101**, **JWUP, Virtual-Vertigo **and** Hanna**

Arigatou Gozaimasu minna-san! Please continue to comment about any errors or improvements that you think would help this story out. Constructive criticisms are welcomed even though I get hurt by it but I will try my best to swallow it up and produce a much better chapter in the future. Flames will hurt because it is hot, so don't play with fires. Till then, mata ne!


	5. Sleeping with Emotions

Disclaimer: I'm as unlucky as everyone

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, slight SasuNaru

A/N: First, thanks for reading. Second, I hope you'll enjoy this chapter just like I did while writing this. Third, please enjoy and review!

Oedipus Complex

Feshnie

Chapter 5: Sleeping with Emotion

_Naruto looked around the room Sasuke had assigned her to. It had all the necessities that she needed as if the room was a small apartment and yet she could tell the room was bigger than the one she had in Konoha._

_After setting her belongings by the queen-sized bed, she went to the sliding door that led to the balcony and opened it. Warm air tickled her tan cheeks making the whisker marks on her cheeks twitch as she grinned at the scenery. It would definitely be comfortable to live at that place with her child._

_The grin faded slightly as she stared at her flat stomach. Tears threatened to slip down her face as she remembered her miscarriage._

_Tan fingers slid over the flat stomach that would no doubt bulge after a few months. She swore to herself that her mistake will not be repeated even if she had to die. Her child will make it and live a wonderful life._

"_You'll make it," he pledged lightly to the warm wind. "You just have to."_

---

His heart was beating once again as his mind began to think of the young man that had, but a while ago, relished a new kind of emotion in him. Never in his whole 36 years had he ever felt that way, his childhood crush included. The object of his turmoil was currently doing some kind of training in the woods outside the mansion he was in.

He could still feel his cheeks burning and feel the pressure of the loving lips against his own.

Loving; it had never really been applied in his vocabulary of caresses since he had followed Sasuke through the path of biological sin. 'Never really' being that he had never thought of Reigi's caresses as something associated with true love.

But now that Reigi's feelings were out in the open, he felt rather disturbed by the fact that he, too, was starting to fall for his son. It was a giant leap for him in fact because he had never been in a relationship where the matters of the heart were an essential. Not even with Sakura, his first crush, did he experience these kinds of emotions.

It felt weird to know that there was someone out there who loved him with all his heart.

His heart beating increased as his mind supplied him with the thoughts of, 'I'm glad I decided to give him a chance.' He violently shook his head, managing to get too dizzy that he fell down onto the bed sheets and had to take nearly a minute to compose himself.

Still, the flush of his cheeks didn't seem to want to leave him as noon passed and was replaced by evening. He had eaten breakfast and lunch, took his bath, took his nap and cleaned his closet with a brush of pink on his pale cheeks. It didn't help that by the passing of time, he grew more anxious as what to say to his son after the boy got back. He twiddled his fingers together as a way to pass time as he waited for the reason behind his confusion.

He nearly received a heart attack when his door was smartly rapped on.

"Come in, Rei," said Naruto after taking a deep breath. The door opened and the boy entered but something immediately felt off with the boy's stance and silence that instantly, mother instinct kicked in Naruto and he walked to his son. "What's the matter, Rei?"

The young man had his head bowed and was obviously trying to conceal something on his face. Naruto reached up and brushed strands of his son's bangs away from his face. At the same time, Rei turned to meet eyes with the blonde.

"Oh god," Naruto breathlessly said, running his palm over the evident dark bruise on Reigi's left cheek. "What happened?"

"Naru-kaa-san, I have a message from Oyaji-sama," Reigi began, his face devoid of any emotions as he pried the hand from his face.

Reigi very seldom used the term 'Oyaji-sama' when referring to the head of the Uchiha. It was only if the man was present in the same room or if he needed to pass a serious message or news from his father that the man dropped the nickname 'Oyaji-teme' with the more respectful 'Oyaji-sama'.

Naruto figured this matter was for the latter, so he stepped deeper into the room he shared with his son and sat at one of the wooden chairs at the table. The other occupant didn't sit though; he took more interest in standing behind an empty chair and avoiding his mother's gaze.

"Tell me, Rei," Naruto said after a while, his face back to its pale colour.

"Oyaji-sama…" began the young man and the blonde could feel helplessness rise inside his son. "Oyaji-sama knows we haven't done anything lately and he demands for immediate results. Prolonging the situation was unbeneficial for him and –"

Here, Reigi started to appear angry.

"He doesn't care if emotions are involved in this or not. Waiting for such development would be useless and time-consuming."

Naruto had to look away. As severe as the situation was, he was beginning to feel another wave of blush coming his way at the implication that the bastard had been spying on their activities. As sinned as he was, it still felt embarrassing to know that a power-crazed peeping tom was on his back trying to get good seats to watch a parent and child perform incest.

"Did he do that to you?" Naruto asked in a low voice, still not looking at his son.

"Yeah," was the frustrated answer as Reigi finally took a seat on the chair. "You'd think a slap wouldn't do as much harm."

"Let me see that," Naruto offered, stepping closer to the victim. Reigi seemed to shy away from his touch at first but let his cool fingers guide their eyes together. "What did he do these with?"

"The back of his hand," Reigi mumbled irritably. "Three times."

A dark bruise ran from the side of his eyes to his cheeks and evidence of a split lip was apparent. Naruto walked over to a cabinet and opened it, searching for a medic kit.

Overturning a few clothes, Naruto started to mull over what Reigi had said. Sasuke knew, just like he had thought, that he hadn't been going at it like rabbits with his son yet. Sasuke couldn't hurt Naruto the way he wanted to because it might cause internal damage because of how weak Naruto had become after the intake of all the medications. Internal damage was a serious risk and the slap the other day had actually added another pill in his daily prescription.

'So the bastard has resorted in lashing out at Rei,' Naruto thought bitterly as he finally managed to find the kit.

He needed to do something now.

…

An ice pack was on the left side of Reigi's face as he stared to his right at his slumbering mother.

He knew the blonde had gotten less sleep than he usually did over the past days. The blonde had probably been doing a lot of consultation with his feelings on whether he loved his son or not.

Reigi smiled in the darkness of the evening twilight and let his right hand wonder to twirl with the pale yellow locks, seeming almost ginger in the sunset.

It was endearing to think that his mother had finally begun to love him as he had to the older man. It made his heart soar when the man responded to his kiss that morning even if it was a faint movement like that.

Naruto stirred in his sleep and turned on his side so that he was facing the man. A limp fist was brought on the hand that had been playing with his hair. As if sensing the new addition of heat, blue eyes were released from pale eyelids. Reigi's heart soared high when Naruto sent a warm smile to him as the man drowsily sat up.

Blonde hair gathered on right shoulder as Naruto rubbed at his eyes childishly. The large button up shirt that he had borrowed from Reigi was exposing a portion of flesh around the neck, chest and shoulder; a portion that was enough to make heat crawl down the man's body to the lower regions. It didn't help that Naruto now enjoyed sleeping with his legs exposed. The young man had to silently swallow as Naruto resembled a lover waking up after a heated session.

"It's already late," Naruto stated drowsily, staring out the open balcony. The evening wind rushed in and blew at the soft hair. The image was something Reigi swore he'd never forget in all his lifetime. It was beautiful and breathtaking.

"Naru-kaa-san," he called out softly, removing the ice pack off of his face as he too sat up. The blonde turned to him, his smile faltering slightly as he was reminded of what Sasuke had done to his son.

"How are you feeling now?" Naruto asked, edging closer to his son and gliding his pale fingers over the bruise. His son just stared into the sad blue eyes as they examined the damage his father had caused. "Does it still hurt?"

"I don't really feel anything now," Reigi said, smiling at how his mother flushed slightly when their eyes met. "I don't care what he does to me anymore, as long as he leaves you alone."

"Don't say that, Rei," Naruto said, cupping the man's good cheek and tears began to cloud his visions. Said boy began to grow anxious, not really liking it when the blonde cried.

"Eh? Eh?! Don't cry, Naru-kaa-san!" the boy said in a panicky voice, his arms instinctively wrapping around the small shoulders and pulling his mother to his chest. "It's really okay. I'm feeling better and this kind of pain is really nothing compared to fighting that group of jounin in Mist village!"

"It's my fault," Naruto sniffed in a low voice. He pressed his cheeks deeper into his son's chest, relishing in the loving embrace his son gave him.

"No it's not!" Reigi protested, prying his mother from his chest and staring into the shocked blue. "It's all Oyaji-teme's fault! None of this is yours."

"No, it is," the blonde said, looking away dejectedly. "If I'd just let go of my insecurities. If I had just accepted your love like I should, I wouldn't have to be dilly-dallying on having performed that order. I'm sorry, Rei. Because of me, you had to suffer like this."

"You should really start believing in me when I say I'm fine, Naru-kaa-san," Reigi joked, poking the blonde a little on his nose before pulling the man to his chest once again. The older man couldn't help but smile at his son's antics.

They both shared a moment of silence as Naruto continued burying his face into his son's chest. Just as sudden as when Reigi pulled him away, Naruto pried himself from his son and stared at the tan face.

"We'll do it tonight!" Naruto said with childish determination all over his face.

Reigi's face took on a questioning look for a while before the real meaning hit him hard on the head. Blood was threatening to fall from his nose as his face resembled a ripe tomato.

"Are – are you sure?" the dark-haired man said incredulously and more blood rushed to his face when his mother nodded hurriedly, his own face blushing furiously.

"I don't want him to hurt you anymore!" Naruto said, gripping onto his son's sleeves desperately.

Reigi's mind began to work. A larger part in him wanted to fuck his mother till next week and a smaller part reasoned that his mother was not ready. Another part in his mind told him that if he intended to fuck the man right now, it wouldn't really be because his mother loved him and wanted to share a deeper bond but it was more because mother instinct told the blonde that if he wanted Reigi to stop getting bashed by the bastard, he had better start working his miracle to produce Uchiha babies.

After a minute, all three parts of his mind won and he was feeling even more confused. His mother was looking at him worriedly.

"I – I don't think you're ready, Naru-kaa-san," said Reigi, a hand over his nose when the part in his brain that told him to fuck the blonde were replaying images upon images of the blonde under him writhing, moaning, sweating and panting his name.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked, leaning closer to his son. It just didn't seem logical to him that his son was letting go of this opportunity even after he had offered.

"I don't want you to do this because you feel responsible for my bruise," Reigi explained, looking straight into his mother's questioning eyes. "I want there to be feelings first before the action comes."

Naruto looked shocked at first before a smile came and he looked down, blushing.

Reigi didn't feel comfortable at all while he said it. His heart was pounding wildly in his chest by the end of his speech and he, too, was looking away with a light blush on his face.

"It's not like I don't feel anything anymore," Naruto said, holding his sweaty palm over his heart. "My heart was beating painfully this morning after you kissed me. I didn't think it ever did in the thirty-six years I had lived in this world."

Reigi was, to put softly, overwhelmed by his mother's confession.

But the feeling was cut short when Naruto passed out from too much blood rushing into his head.

"Naru-kaa-san!"

…

It was night by the time the blonde reached consciousness and Reigi was sharpening his weapon on the floor by the balcony entrance.

"Rei?" Naruto called out hoarsely and heard shifting and clinking of weapons before the eighteen-year-old approached him. A smile immediately replaced the frown and Reigi returned it.

"How are you feeling?" asked the boy, shifting a bit so that his mother could sit up.

"I'm fine," Naruto mumbled as memories of his confession returning.

Seeing the uncomfortable fidget, a larger smile crept on his face and Reigi leaned down to capture the pink lips in a soft kiss. A squeak escaped the blonde and the arm that had been supporting his weight slipped.

Reigi opened his eyes the moment the soft lips left his and looked down at the shocked blonde.

"That could also work," Reigi muttered to himself as he joined Naruto on the bed, resuming their kiss. The poor blonde was trying to make sense of the situation as he shyly returned the kiss, his mouth moving with his son's. Pale hands held a light grip onto his son's arms before he slowly brought his arms over the tan neck as tongue began to be added in the kiss.

It suddenly registered in the blonde's mind that he had once held Sasuke like this. It felt different now however. The feeling, the pressure, the emotion and the sensation was all different than the ravenous one he shared with Sasuke about eighteen years ago.

A smile made it to his face as Reigi stopped pleasuring his lips. The younger man panted lightly and gave a smirk at his mother's flushed state.

"I – I think," Naruto began, his heart beating fast. "I think it's safe to say, 'I love you', Rei."

Reigi stared for a while, his smirk fading, before he replaced it with a touched smile. He leaned up a bit to place a kiss on the pale forehead before looking back into the flushed face of his mother.

"And I _know_ it's safe to say I love you too, Naru-kaa-san."

The blonde couldn't help but blush harder as their lips met again, still as soft as before. Naruto moaned lightly when Reigi brushed his finger over a nipple.

Encouraged by the moan, Reigi placed pressure onto the kiss and let his hands wander down the lean sides of his mother making the smaller man shiver. Quick hands, trained to kill, moved quickly to unbutton the shirt his mother had on. A loud gasp made it to his ears when he finally encircled his hand around his destination.

"Rei –" Naruto pulled away forcefully, pulling his arms from his son's neck to push against the sturdy chest. The young man looked quizzically at his mother making Naruto turn away sheepishly. Honestly! It felt like they were doing it for the first time! "If we're going to do it, let me change first."

Reigi nodded before releasing the half-erected cock and got off of his mother as the blonde sat up and brought his hands together to form the required hand seal.

"Oiroke no jutsu," Naruto mumbled embarrassedly as chakra flared in him. A cloud of smoke surrounded him in a poof and Reigi felt his heartbeat increasing, finally being able to see the woman that had carried him in her womb for nine months.

His mouth felt dry as he waited for the smoke to die down.

The first thing he noticed about the woman was that the blonde hair that he grew to adore was now surrounding the woman's body like a curtain. Just by looking at it, Rei knew the hair ran past his mother's enlarged buttocks. The second thing he noticed as his eyes trailed to the tip of his mother's hair was that there wasn't a pink bulge between his mother's legs. This was accompanied by a blush as his eyes trailed up to meet busty breast that was covered by his shirt and as the woman shifted nervously, a pink nipple met his gaze. His blush grew darker before he stared at the round pale face. She wasn't looking at him and preferred, however, to stare at the bed sheet instead.

"Umm…" Reigi began, collecting his breath as he neared the woman and held her hand. It felt smaller and delicate than before and Reigi had to gulp his desires down as he guided the woman's face to him and placed a hesitant kiss.

It was obvious when they pulled away that the blonde had been holding her breath. The pant and flushed face made Reigi's cock twitch in excitement as he pressed his lips harder against the softer ones. Naruto couldn't help but moan again.

"You look really cute, Naru-kaa-san."

…

Naruto blinked as stray sunlight blinded his abused eyes. He snuggled deeper into the blankets when a familiar pain crept up his spine. Running a hand over his naked flat chest, he sighed. He wasn't a woman anymore.

The embarrassing but pleasant moments of the night before replayed in his head as Naruto rubbed his cheeks into the blanket to ward off, though unsuccessful, the incoming blush.

He silently cursed when his cheeks betrayed his mind and his cock twitched at the memories. He wondered slightly as he got out of bed and tossed on his son's shirt, was his face ever going to return to its pale colours after he had abused his blood to flow there so much recently?

He mulled over the thought as he took a seat at the table and pulled the tray containing his breakfast towards him. The sound of a distant tree breaking made him peer down to the forest near the mansion. Sure enough, there Reigi was with Sasuke, having a spar of some kind.

-----------------

A/N: I finally noticed that I didn't write the smutty parts. And that Reigi had mood swings. I also noticed that a scene with Sasuke in it wasn't apparent in this chapter; Again. I'm sorry.

Then I realized, I didn't know how to write smut. And that Reigi was Naruto's son so he can have mood swings from hell as much as he liked. Thirdly, Sasuke couldn't be squeezed in any scene anyway. I feel less sorry. And I begun to wander…starts sounding worried Am I going too fast? If I went any slower than this, Naruto won't get pregnant by the 10th chapter…so I wanted to know what the readers thought,

Should I slow down a bit and make the feelings develop slower?  
Should I start writing the censored part?  
Should I even write that part since discourages it?  
Should I lengthen the chapters?  
Should I finish the ice-cream in the refrigerator?  
So, if anyone bothered to read this, please answer. I would like feedback.

Reviews:  
**fluffy's cutiepie**: I love my nose too…and thanks for saying that chapter was great and it did help in this chapter. I love SesshyxInu too! Aha… sorry about the delay…I was busy with the English Fest that I couldn't find the energy and inspiration to cook up the story for chapter 4. And it was also because I couldn't access internet.  
**Akirakun17**: I don't mind you reading that response. I never really gave it much thought actually because I already have Reigi and Naruto's child's fate in my mind. It was just putting it on paper that had me worried.

And also thanks to: **Janime-chan**, **darktulip**, **aloukou101**,** ObsessedReader**,** JD01**

Arigatou Gozaimasu minna-san! Please continue to comment about any errors or improvements that you think would help this story out. Constructive criticisms are welcomed even though I get hurt by it but I will try my best to swallow it up and produce a much better chapter in the future. Flames will hurt because it is hot, so don't play with fires. Till then, mata ne!


	6. The Devil's Visit

Disclaimer: I'm as unlucky as everyone

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, slight SasuNaru

A/N: Firstly, I'm so very sorry for the long wait. I can't believe it's October already. It's been so long and I am really, really sorry. Secondly, I can't, for the life of me, write yaoi in any way or form, so there's none in this…I think. Thirdly, please enjoy! Fourthly, don't forget to leave a review!

Oedipus Complex

Feshnie

Chapter 6: The Devil's Visit

_He looked at the four-year-old boy climbing up the stairs with an apple in his hand._

"_Naru-kaa-san!" the boy called out with a bright grin on his face. He stopped on the tenth step to let the little boy catch up with him. "The chef let me have another apple! Look, it even looks bigger than the one I ate before!"_

"_That's nice, Rei," smiled Naruto, offering his hand to the enthusiastic boy. Reigi took it and the both of them continued heading for their room._

"_Ne, ne, Naru-kaa-san!" the boy began, still holding tightly on the apple. "Is it going to snow soon? I heard Fukushi-san talking about it with Sanada-san."_

_The blonde sweat dropped slightly. He really needed to get it into his son's head that eaves-dropping was not a nice thing to do even among the maids of the mansion._

"_Have you been listening to them again?" Naruto asked, masking a hint of severe-ness in his voice. "I keep telling you, Rei, that it's not good to listen to other people talking without them knowing."_

"_But…" Reigi began, contemplating something. "But Oyaji-sama always sends people to hear what other people say. Eavo – ieavo – eves –"_

"_Eavesdrop?" Naruto supplied, laughing at his son's flustered expression. The boy nodded enthusiastically. "But that's different, Rei."_

"_Why is it different?" Reigi asked, pouting cutely._

"_Hmm…" Naruto made a thinking face before he peeked at his curious son. "Remember what I always told you about what your father does?"_

_Reigi was silent for a while, trying to recall the memory. He was about to say he didn't know when the memory came back to him._

"_You said I'll find out when I grow up!" Reigi said excitedly before his face fell. "Hey! I still don't get it!"_

_Naruto chuckled to himself before stopping in front of their room._

---

All his life, Reigi had found his father to be a person who demanded respect and was always surrounded by the aura of his power. It was no surprise how he cowered when he was a child. But now that he had grown used to the feeling and had grown stronger himself, he didn't feel the need to fear his father so exceedingly like he had in his youth.

Today however, things felt different. His father, the great Uchiha Sasuke, seemed forbiddingly happy for reasons that Reigi suspected was caused by him.

When in term with Sasuke and happy, it didn't mean the man had suddenly turned 180 degrees and became suddenly friendly, hyper and laughable. The 'happy' when mentioned as the man's emotions was unsurprisingly accompanied with the trademark sexy smirk with a little more upwards curve than what was always seen.

As morning spar neared its end, Reigi was more or less expecting his father to suddenly burst out cackling evilly with his arms folded in front of him and his face a devilish look accompanied by a set of devil horns sticking out of the midnight blue hair.

He also found that when his father was happy, he tended to try very hard to pummel Reigi into the earth. This had made a sear to Reigi's pride to find that after all the time they had tried to kill each other, his father didn't bother to use all of his strength.

He was clutching his left hand as he hid behind a boulder, already using the chidori for the fourth time. He was panting from just trying to defend himself.

A black sparrow flew above him, a red ribbon tied to its leg. He visibly relaxed, leaning against the boulder as beads of sweat slipped from his forehead. He felt his father's chakra suddenly deplete and knew the man had masked his chakra like he always did.

'The bastard only ever let's that thing leak when he wants to scare Naru-kaa-san,' Reigi bitterly mulled, pushing himself against the boulder. He staggered a little before stepping away from his hiding place.

"Great job last night," a voice sneered from the top of the boulder he had leaned on. Reigi stood still, mad at himself for not sensing the man. "Do better today."

He ignored his father as he continued to walk away from the training ground. A bitter feeling rose in his stomach when the realization that he had, in fact, just followed his father's unreasonable order.

…

Naruto looked at the door as the maid busily changed the bed sheets with fresh ones and gathered up his finished lunch. It was routine after all and the maid's job.

A particular maid, by the name of Sanada, watched him from the corner of her envious eyes as she changed the towels in the bathroom. Sanada was the maid Reigi had once fell for when he was small. She wasn't the most beautiful person in the world but when compared to the maids running about in the mansion, she seemed by far the most attractive person a boy can find around. Her face was accompanied also by an alluring curve that she had, at countless times, used to get her way around men.

She truly thought she had him wrapped around her finger when the boy was young. She knew the boy had taken a liking to her and it was beneficial to have the boy on his knees at her every whim.

She was thirteen when she was brought into the mansion to work there. Instantly she developed a crush over the cold-hearted man that owned the place. Since then, she had taken a great dislike at Naruto because the man had managed to be the one Sasuke-sama had chosen to bear the Uchiha heir and was even allowed to live lavishly in the mansion.

The heir, Uchiha Reigi, was simply an annoyance to her when she first came. He looked extremely happy to spend time with her rival that it got on her nerves. It wasn't until a year later that she found the boy always blushing in front of her and couldn't get a straight order out of his mouth when in her presence.

She knew she hit jackpot at that time.

Her attention returned to the present as Naruto shifted his gaze out the veranda into the clear blue sky. She scowled silently, throwing the wet towels into the cart. She wanted dearly to strangle the man for soiling her plans.

As she grew accustomed to the mansion, she found Reigi to be someone of intelligence and shared a deep fondness of casually eavesdropping on people's conversation. That was when she developed the plan to separate the mother and child. It had worked miraculously and the blonde's health had dropped tremendously and he was bed-ridden for most of his time. That was when Naruto had begun to remain in his room, only coming out when really needed.

A lot of people seemed to fall into depression after that but it was clear to everyone in the place that Reigi was no longer talking to Naruto. She was happy but felt a sense of annoyance when some of the workers there who knew of the cause were avoiding her like a plague. She was hated by some of the people who adored the blonde. It did feel troublesome when the chef himself grown a dislike for her but she was determined to bring the blonde to his downfall.

She tried to get the heir's attention after that but the boy always seemed distracted by sorrow, guilt and depression. She had even offered with her body once the boy had turned nine but was turned down.

She didn't know what really happened but after Reigi's tenth birthday, the boy had returned to his ill mother's side. There had been a lot of tears that week. The maids were happy to find the blonde's health returning back and hear laughter from the heir's mouth once more.

"Sanada-kun, hurry up!" a maid hissed in her ear when she noticed Sanada was pausing to glare daggers at the silent blonde.

With another scowl, she hurried outside to replace bottles of toiletries. She paused by the door to pick up a stray shirt that belonged to Reigi.

She knew the boy would grow up to be a well-built, good-looking man. She just hoped there wasn't anyone special yet in the man's heart other than his fragile and useless mother.

'Well, a son usually rebels once they have someone they love,' she thought with a smirk, placing the shirt along with other clothes that needed to be washed. 'It's just a matter of whom he loves.'

She had finished doing her part already and was now waiting for the maids to finish preparing the bed. She leered at the blonde once more and her eyes widened in disbelief.

The afternoon wind lazily came through the open window to blow against soft chest-length blonde hair. It wasn't particularly big but it was still obvious against the pale skin.

Sanada's legs felt wobbly at the sight of a love bite on Naruto's neck.

…

By four o'clock, a knock echoed through the silent room.

"Naru-kaa-san," a voice, spoken softly, called from the other side.

"Come in Rei," Naruto said, rising from his position on the bed. The sound of the door opening and closing filled the room as the youngest Uchiha entered the room. The blonde sat up straighter at the sight of a worried looking Reigi and inwardly cringed at the sight of the bruise that Reigi had obtained the day before. At least the boy's unusual healing rate reduced the bruise to look smaller. "What is it, Rei? Did something happen?"

The young man looked at him, uncertainty clearly written all over his faced. Naruto stood up from the bed and walked bare-footed to his son, the cold floor making his empty stomach churn uncomfortably. Rei was still looking hesitant when Naruto guided him to sit down on the bed. They sat facing each other for a few silent minutes. The blonde took this time to examine his son carefully.

Dirt was apparent on certain parts of the man's body and the blonde felt a huge urge to wipe the one on the tip of Reigi's nose.

"Oyaji-teme looked happy today," the young man finally said, searching his mother's sky blue eyes.

Naruto pursed his pale lips together and stared, instead, at the peeling walls. 'So Sasuke knew. Just like I thought he would.'

"Did he hurt you, Rei?" the blonde asked, walking over to the dresser and pulling out a plain cream handkerchief. The dark-haired man watched his mother silently as the blonde poured water onto the handkerchief and squeezed it before returning to his side.

"He sure as hell was trying to make me eat dirt," muttered Reigi, wrinkling his nose slightly at the feeling of the damp cloth being rubbed on his nose.

"Are you injured?"

"No but I've been using a lot of that Chidori today," complained Reigi, pouting. There was a brief change in Naruto's expression at the mention of Chidori but he didn't press the subject and let his mother continue cleaning dirt spots. He took extra care to be gentle on the bruise on his face. It felt nice anyway to have someone care for him.

"Your arm hurts?" Naruto asked, running his hand lightly on Reigi's left arm, pausing slightly on his bicep. Reigi was a lefthander after all… just like Sasuke.

"Not anymore," the young man's reply was slightly hesitant. Naruto missed the tone while he stood up to wash the dirtied cloth in the bathroom. They fell into a comfortable silent for a while, the only sound being the water rushing from the bathroom sink. "Hey, Naru-kaa-san…"

"Yes?"

"Did we do the right thing last night?"

Naruto paused for a while, staring at his image in the bathroom mirror. His pale skin looked more sullen with his sombre expression.

'There wasn't anything right about what we did,' his conscious told him. His mouth however said different. "What do you think is the right thing to do?"

He finished up cleaning the handkerchief before folding it and placing it by the sink for the maids to pick up later. When Reigi failed to respond, the blonde stuck his head out the bathroom to see what his son was doing. Reigi was undressing himself to, without a doubt, take a shower.

"I had fun last night," Naruto unconsciously stated, staring at his son's muscled torso. When he did realize what he said, he clamped a hand over his mouth and rushed to his bed. His son just stared with interest before catching his mother by the waist as Naruto was passing him. The blonde let out an 'eep' before the force made him collide into a strong and naked chest.

"You had fun last night?" The younger man asked, unabashedly. Naruto turned scarlet in an instant. "Tell me, Naru-kaa-san."

"Yeah, a bit," was the breathless reply.

"Was I amazing?" Reigi pressed, a hint of a smirk on his face. A slight nod could be felt at his chest before the blonde, embarrassedly, pulled away and trudged to hide under the covers. "I don't mind giving a repeat of last night, Naru-kaa-san!"

His mood had definitely improved from when he entered the room and he felt he owed it to his mother. That man really liked to say things before he thought about it but that was what he liked. Sometimes it felt as if he was getting to know the old 'Naruto'. Just like what the family doctor always mumbled whenever he thinks his father was not listening.

"Hey, Rei," Naruto called out, pushing the covers and sitting up. Reigi openly stared at his mother, giving the man time to arrange his words. "You came back early. Why?"

It was apparent that the blonde should have asked his son that question when his mood was still under his feet as the young man turned his attention to his dirty shoes. He looked reluctant to answer and Naruto felt guilt seep in him for making his son feel that way but his curiosity always got the better of him.

"He didn't directly tell me," Reigi began, turning away from the smaller man and slowly making his way to the bathroom. He paused by the door and made to turn but thought instead as he continued. "But I have a feeling he wanted to give us more time."

"More time for what?"

His left foot had already entered the bathroom when he paused long enough to answer, "To fuck."

…

He leaned heavily on the wall next to the door, his feelings a jumble inside his heart. He should be happy that Naruto was willing to do these things with him but he felt used because all of these were happening because of that order. He felt as if he had to thank his father for coming up with such a brilliant plan and that did more to pierce his painful heart and deflate his ego.

'Couldn't the man just stick to being powerful instead of having a lot of brain cells?' he grumbled in his head, taking off his pants and turning the shower on.

His mother didn't seem reluctant to be with him and he began to wonder who it was that his mother saw while they were going at it. He didn't need anyone to tell him that he looked a lot like his father. He was certain that if he made the back of his head resemble a chicken's ass, he'd pass as a young Sasuke. But maybe his eyes would give away his identity. His mother always said his eyes looked like the clear sky of a full moon night. Could it be a coincidence that the blonde also liked the full moon?

He wanted to think of it that way. It would forever remind the blonde of him and he felt more connected to his mother that way. Just like his eyes that reminded his mother of the clear sky of a full moon night, his mother's light blue eyes reminded him of the clear cloudless sky of a bright day.

Reigi stared at the blank tiles lining the bathroom wall as water pounded lightly on his tan skin. He then looked at his calloused hands.

He never really took note of it but he was almost certain that his father's hands weren't as rough as his. He never really held his father's hands, heck, he didn't even want to be in contact with any part of his father's body but he knew just by looking that his father had softer skin than he did.

Does Naru-kaa-san prefer to be held by hands that weren't calloused like his father's? The question popped in his mind and he curled his fingers into fists. After all, didn't his father touch his mother first before he did? An empty feeling was suddenly present in his heart and his eyes clenched shut.

Was it so selfish to keep his mother to himself? There was no one else that was eligible to receive the blonde's love as much as he did; no one else was there that his mother wanted to be with.

Except his father.

He really needed to kill something now just to get the rage out of his system.

Reigi turned off the faucet and pulled a fresh towel from the towel rack. He took in a deep breath, trying to calm his raging nerves. Life was being an ass again but it didn't mean he had to take it out on his mother. The poor blonde had probably suffered more from unrequited love than he did.

Drying himself, the eighteen-year-old looked at his face in the bathroom mirror. A scowling Uchiha Reigi was what stared back with thin dark brows furrowed together and a furious frown on his face. It didn't help that the bruise made him look more menacing. Pulling the now wet towel from his tousled, damp hair, he realized something.

His hair held a lighter shade of dark blue and his skin was tan. He could never pass as a younger version of his father even if the back of his head resembled a chicken's ass. There was no way anyone could mistaken him with that bastard even if they had one eye closed.

A smirk replaced his frown and he began to examine his face more closely in the mirror, noticing more details of himself that differentiated him and his father.

"Oh shit, zit," he heard himself mumble, rough finger pressing on a small sick-looking lump that was on the bottom left of his jaw. Thankfully, he noted, it was covered by his long bangs. Grinning once more at himself, Reigi tied the towel around his waist and made his way back to the room.

His eyes travelled around the room and rested on the form of his mother whom was staring out the window, his eyes unfocused.

'_It doesn't really matter that the darkness keeps closing in over the moon because it'll light back up. Slow, but it will definitely light back up.'_

He didn't need to feel unsure anymore. It was clear his mother wanted him to bring the light back over the moon that has been darkened. He will do so and the gears in his head started to move more readily, as if eager to think up the world's best plan.

…

Not much happened in the evening. Both mother and son had consumed each other in books and scrolls that Reigi had heaved up from the library. Naruto had immediately consumed himself in a foreign romance novel. This surprised the young man a bit as he didn't think his mother was capable of reading foreign languages. Naruto replied, sounding a little offended, that he had learned the language out of boredom while Reigi was still in his womb. When asked who had thought him, the blonde answered hesitantly that it was Sasuke. The conversation ended there immediately.

Reigi, however, had immersed himself in a couple of scrolls that he hadn't really taken much interest before. Sometimes he would glance at his mother or peek over his mother's shoulder to see what he was reading. He understood every word because his bastard of a father forced him to learn three kinds of languages.

The novel was a typical romance story between a poor girl and a rich boy. The kind of story that Reigi never thought in a hundred years would interest a man like his mother so much that by sunset, he had to force his mother to stop reading because Naruto was reduced to tears.

After calming the blonde down and returning the books and scrolls back to its original place, he brought up dinner and they both ate quietly, Naruto sniffling now and then. He cast a worried glance at the depressed form in front of him. He couldn't help but think the image of his mother crying over a love story was so damn cute. The urge to just wrap his arms around the small figure felt tempting as he watched Naruto suck on a piece of meat that was stuck to his fork.

"Feeling better?" He asked cautiously, halfway through their meal. Naruto looked up, surprised before realizing what his son was talking about.

"Oh! Yeah…I'm feeling much better," Naruto said with an apologetic smile. "Sorry if I surprised you by crying like that. I didn't think Rukuzana would betray Ririan."

Reigi nearly laughed at his mother's mispronunciation but he bit it back and instead smiled at the sight of a light blush covering the pale cheeks.

"So, who's this Roxanne?" he asked teasingly, knowing full well that his mother noticed the difference. A heavier blush heated his mother's face accompanied by a small pout. "And what's she got to do with Lilian?"

"Rokszana –" Naruto tried to pronounce the name once again and his face reddened more before he gave up on saying the name altogether. "– is Ririan's childhood friend."

Silence reigned in the room after that because the blonde was unwilling to continue, already embarrassed that he couldn't say the names right. Reigi however, was expecting more of his mother's explanation, thinking the way he said the names were cute. But when it was apparent his mother didn't want to continue, he frowned slightly. "That's all?"

The older man's response was a low mumble that Reigi didn't catch.

"Did you say something, Naru-kaa-san?"

The heavy blush lessened slightly as Naruto took a deep breath and repeated once again with a louder voice. "He only taught me how to read."

Reigi didn't have to ask who it was that his mother was referring to but he felt his mirth dropping and he stayed quiet, opting to eat silently. Seeing his son's reaction, Naruto immediately lost his appetite and pushed the plate away from him before pulling the saucer containing his medications towards him.

After dinner was finished, Reigi collected the plates on a tray and left the room to place the tray in the kitchen. Naruto watched his son's back as the young man left the room. It always felt foreboding to mention about Sasuke in front of his son but Naruto wanted desperately for Reigi to realize that Sasuke was a part of his life and there was nothing he could do but to accept it no matter how much he hated the man.

He yearned to tell Reigi tales of when he was young and free, living as a shinobi in the Hidden Village of Leaf and his dreams when he was young along with the kinds of people he was growing up with. But he had to refrain himself from doing so because he knew no matter what the tale was, Sasuke was in it, indirectly or not. If it was difficult for his son to even hear him say the name, it was harder for him to hear about the times he spent by Sasuke's side in which he would no doubt tell with adoration in his voice.

He would always treasure the memories he had with Sasuke because it was precious to him. If he denied the man's existence in his life, it would be like denying his own existence and he was far from that idea.

"But you changed," Naruto said to the empty room, turning away from the door to gaze at the darkening sky from the veranda. "And you dragged me too."

"You were willing," a cold voice spoke from behind him. Time seemed to stop for a while as Naruto left his chair to stand face to face with the object of his dilemma.

"Sasuke," Naruto breathlessly said, backing away from the man but Sasuke was indeed faster, catching his wrist and pulling him closer. "Let me go, you bastard!"

"You haven't been doing anything," Sasuke coldly said, holding the blue stone that hung around Naruto's neck. "And to think I already gave you a reward."

Naruto ceased his struggling, afraid that the man would harm the stone. Taking note of this, the dark-haired man released his wrist. A warm hand cupped his left cheek and a soft thumb trailed down the faint whisker marks. The hand slid past his ears and undid his hair, letting it fall over his shoulders. His head was then tilted with a yank of his hair and thin lips pressed hungrily against his own, a tongue invading the blonde's mouth instantly. Naruto whimpered when his hair was roughly tugged so that he could deepen their wild kiss. Smaller hands reached up to clutch on the side of Sasuke's shirt.

"That brat sure doesn't know how to enjoy you," murmured the head of the Uchiha when they parted. Naruto was about to turn away in shame before his hair was tugged again earning a yelp. Sasuke kissed down the flawless neck and sucked on the spot where traces of the hickey that Reigi gave was still apparent. Naruto couldn't help but moan helplessly against the familiar mouth.

Sasuke's free hand roamed shamelessly up the blonde's shirt and squeezed the uncovered buttocks earning a small gasp from the smaller man to which Sasuke took the privilege of plunging his tongue into the warm cavern of Naruto's mouth.

"Please…don't…" Naruto begged; pushing against the strong chest as his mouth was showered with rough kisses. "Rei…he's going to come…back…any minute…"

"Let him," the dark-haired man said with a smirk, finding Naruto's entrance and shoving a finger up the first ring of muscle. Naruto cried out in pain, pressing his body against Sasuke to keep standing. "I want him to know who you belong to."

"No…stop…ahh! Stop it! It hurts!" Naruto all but screamed as another finger was inserted into his dry passage. He heard an amused chuckle come from the man as the fingers were shoved roughly in and out of him. He didn't have time to get used to the pain before he was violently shoved onto the bed. He tried to crawl away but a strong hand circled around his ankle and yanked him down. Buttons popped at the motion and his shirt gathered around his waist, exposing his naked backside.

"You no longer excite me," said Sasuke, running a finger over Naruto's aching entrance. Bright blue eyes widened and his body turned lax before growing rigid again when the two fingers once more dive into him, unprepared and already stinging from its abuse. A shrill scream tore from his throat. "It makes me wonder why I should keep you here anymore."

The fingers finally pull out of him, leaving Naruto in pain and in tears. Sobs wrecked his small form and he rolled to his side, burying his face into the mattress. He felt a dip in the sheets behind him and a warm hand was placed on his head.

"I thought of letting you go," continued Sasuke, running his fingers through the hair slowly. "Back to Konoha where I'm sure they miss their blonde idiot."

Naruto turned slowly to face the father of his son and searched the blank eyes. Sasuke continued to play with his hair, his smirk gone to be replaced by an unreadable expression.

"But that would be the same as killing you, wouldn't it?" The fingers moved to glide over the blonde's cheeks and a finger traced his jaw. "Because you need me."

The finger left his face to trace down his neck and hooked on the shirt Naruto was still wearing and tug it down to expose a pale shoulder.

"Then I thought of killing you myself." Here, Sasuke stopped to place a kiss on the bare skin he had uncovered. He felt the smaller man shiver at the contact and looked away. "But my son needed you."

"That's why I gave you a task for you to remain useful to me." There was a brief silence before Sasuke yanked on the shirt and forced Naruto to the floor. "Why am I not seeing results yet?"

"Naru-kaa-san!" a shout came from the door. Reigi had returned from the kitchen and was now glaring furiously at his father. "What do you think you're doing to Naru-kaa-san?!"

Sasuke stood up calmly and left the room without a word more. Reigi immediately ran to his mother's side, glaring at his father as they passed.

"Are you okay?" The young man asked, kneeling next to his mother and helping the blonde to sit up. He turned to glare at the empty doorway. "One day I'm going to make that bastard pay for what he did to you."

"I…didn't realize," Naruto mumbled, making Reigi turn to see. The blonde was staring in between his legs at his 'awakened' arousal. "When did –?"

Even though Reigi had seen his mother's penis countless of times before and some of them weren't the most innocent to the sight, he still felt blood rushing to his cheeks and was about to squirt out his nose. It didn't help that his mother was gingerly reaching for the half-erect penis.

"Naru-kaa-san…" Reigi called out breathlessly, his cock twitching alive at the sight of his mother touching himself. The blonde's head jerked up as if just noticing that his son was sitting beside him.

Then his mother gave a short startled scream, covering his erection with a furious blush on his face. Reigi staggered back in shock, landing painfully on his butt.

"You…startled me," Naruto said apologetically, his hands folded on top of the growing bulge.

"What – what happened just now?" asked Reigi uncertainly, edging closer to his mother. "With _that._"

Naruto looked uncertain at first, and then his face took on a sad look before another wave of blush washed over his face.

"I – I think," Naruto begin, a hand playing with the hem of his shirt. The blush didn't decrease and he felt slightly light headed. "The best term would be 'finger fuck'?"

"He did WHAT?!" Reigi all but bellowed making Naruto cringe and shrank slightly. Rage coursed through his blood and he swore he saw red but he clenched his fist, gritted his teeth and willed himself to calm down. It did help somewhat that the perverted side of his mind was picturing a prostrate Naruto with a finger, that oddly resembled his, buried deep in his entrance. His cock twitched in excitement again.

'Dear Naru-kaa-san, please don't blame me for thinking you this way. Blame it on my bastard of a father and his odd ways of pleasuring you,' Reigi prayed in his mind, already feeling hot and bothered.

Naruto, on the other hand, felt worried for Reigi. His son had been silent as if a little banter was going on in his mind. Cautiously, he leaned on his knees and cupped Reigi's cheeks. Feeling the touch, darker blue eyes opened halfway, not looking at his mother in the eye.

"Are you angry?"

Reigi kept silent.

"Jealous?"

His mind stopped working for a while.

'What the fuck was I doing being happy with Oyaji-teme touching Naru-kaa-san?!' Reigi all but screamed in his head. 'I should be feeling jealous because Naru-kaa-san belongs to me! Not feeling hot all over because that bastard triggered a nice kinky pose with Naru-kaa-san!'

"I'm sorry," Naruto whispered, bringing his arms around the tan neck and resting his head on Reigi's shoulder. He kept a distance between their bodies so that his arousal didn't press onto his son. It was enough that Reigi was angry with what Sasuke did to him but to emphasize his pleasure from their visit was like oil on fire to Reigi's emotions.

Reigi wasn't thinking half straight when he returned the hug and pulled his mother to his chest. This made Naruto lose balance and topple onto his son until they nearly tumbled back. Quick reflex made Reigi swung his arms back and pressed his palms to the floor, leaning on his arms to support them both.

Naruto slid downwards a bit, accidentally rubbing his own arousal with his son's. Reigi gave out a low groan, his eyes shut at the pleasurable feeling and his pants started to seem too tight. Naruto moaned at the sensation before pulling away from his son to land on the cold floor with a wince. His previously abused entrance now seemed to demand something shoved up his ass.

"Sorry," Naruto mumbled, pushing his hair behind his ears before looking at his harshly-breathing son.

There was no denying both of them needed to get this problem fixed.

So, Reigi stood up and held a hand out to his confused mother who took it after a small hesitation and was pulled up. The blonde was then led to the bed and hoisted onto the already tousled covers before his son peeled the shirt from his shoulders.

"R – Rei!" Naruto all but squeaked, scarlet on his cheeks. Yet he didn't stop Reigi from taking it off and throwing it on the floor. His son sucked on air a bit as their eyes both stared at the stiff arousal demanding for attention.

"Saa, Naru-kaa-san," the young man begun, licking his lips. "You don't mind, right?"

Naruto didn't answer and Reigi didn't care as he placed an experimental lick on the head of the blonde's cock before taking it into his warm mouth. The blonde arched his back as a moan escaped his dry lips when Reigi took in more of it and gave a suck. His arms seemed to turn to jelly and he fell back onto the bed, writhing pleasurably when his son swallowed up to the hilt.

To say that it was the best blowjob in the whole world was a downright lie because of Reigi's inexperience but to him, having suffered rougher treatments by Sasuke and never having anyone else do this to him, it felt like it was the best blowjob he had ever received. Of course, Reigi had done it to him once before but he had cum so early that the pleasure didn't last long.

"Aaah…" a long moan escaped his lips when a wet tongue traced the vein on his cock. He parted his legs further, immediately feeling Reigi crawl closer to him for a more comfortable position. His body shook when he felt the hot mouth suck hard and moans and cries left his parted lips as pale hands griped the sheets tightly. The pleasure built in him and he yearned to release it. "Harder…suck harder, Rei…please! I can't take it anymore!"

Reigi complied, feeling slightly turned on by the order. He was pleased to feel his mother buck under him, demanding he move faster. He increased his suction and bobbed his head more urgently earning a satisfying cry from the blonde.

Just like the first blowjob he had given his mother, it didn't last long. He heard a loud cry of his name before hot cum shot down his throat. He pulled away immediately, accommodating his gag reflex. Cum and saliva dribbled down his chin while he coughed out whatever semen that didn't manage to slide down his throat

Breathing raggedly, Naruto was indeed a sight to see. Blonde hair was tousled and stuck to his face, neck and chest where a layer of sweat shined in the dim light of the room, as if illuminating him. His body looked rosy but the blood in his body appeared to have favoured the man's cheeks, making it look as if it was on a red flame. Half-lidded blue eyes filled with lust stared out the veranda, too tired to peer at the man who had brought release to him.

Reigi didn't mind because he liked to think his mother was a shy lover.

And now that the appetizers were finished, he wanted to move to the main dish.

He laughed maniacally in his head as he crawled onto the flushed body. Trust him and his love for food to come up with kinky words like that. His mother turned to meet his eyes and sent him a warm smile, the sky blue eyes still glazed with lust. He leaned down and brushed his lips against his mother before pressing a little harder. They separated with a 'chuu' and a pink tongue darted out of Naruto's mouth, licking the cum that Reigi had transferred onto his lips.

To Reigi, the simple act seemed very erotic to him and was reminded of his weeping arousal. How he wanted to bury himself up to the hilt in his mother's ass at that moment. But he didn't want to scare his mother by moving too fast.

Again, he lowered his head and kissed his mother. Naruto responded by locking his arms around his son's neck and cocking his head slightly to better access his son's teasing lips. Tongue soon began to be added along with bites, licks and sucking.

In the midst of licking at a bruised lip, Reigi started shedding his shirt. They pulled apart when he needed to take it off him before claiming the lips again.

Tan hands reached lower, accidentally brushing the blonde's awakened cock, ripping a loud moan from Naruto before his fingers reached home. Naruto jerked when something rubbed at his opening and immediately pushed his son away.

"Wait!" Naruto screamed, breathing erratically.

"What the –"

"Please…" The blonde took a moment to breath. "Let me change first."

"Oh yeah…_that_…forgot. Sorry."

…

Naruto turned away from the blinding sunlight and groaned at the aching pain burning down his back. A smile reached his lips despite the pain and he felt ready to get up and face the world.

"Already up?" a familiar voice called from the bathroom. Naruto turned sharply towards the source of the voice and gaped. Reigi was standing with folded towels on one hand and a bottle of shampoo in the other. It wasn't that the young man had anything odd sticking out his body but it was just the fact that he was _there_ with him instead of outside training as if the enemy was about to sprout out like mushrooms after rain surprised him.

"Aren't you supposed to be outside?" Naruto asked, edging out of bed and placing a foot on the floor.

"There's no training today," his son replied to him, turning away and entering the bathroom. "It's already noon. The maids came by a while ago to clean the room but I figured since you were still sleeping, they should just leave the clean stuff and come pick up the dirty ones in a while."

"Sorry for the trouble," mumbled Naruto, already pulling on Reigi's fresh cloth. He padded to the table barefooted and stared at where his breakfast should have been. "My breakfast…"

The dark-haired man emerged from the bathroom and stared at his mother's blank face. "What?"

"It's gone…"

"I told them you were going to eat down today," said Reigi, smiling as he approached his mother. "You haven't been out of this room in quite a while and a lot of people miss you. I would know since I talked a bit with Shintouji-san last night."

There was an obvious look of surprise and happiness on the older man's face before it fell and he turned his attention to the floor. "My medicines. I haven't taken them yet."

A frown made it to the younger man's face and he hung his head slightly so that his long hair shadowed over his face, hiding his angry glare. His father's fault again. If it hadn't been the work of those damned poisons his father called medicine, his mother won't be as frail as he was now. It seemed that the blonde's health depended on the godforsaken pills that his father created. It seemed to be increasingly urgent for his mother to consume it by passing time or else the energy would seem to drain out of him.

"Take a shower and get dressed. I'll go get it for you," Reigi bitterly said, moving to take a towel from the dresser and handing it to his mother. He was about to march out when he felt a tug on his sleeves. He looked behind him, surprise written clearly on his face, to see his mother peering at him worriedly.

"I'm sorry," Naruto apologized, his voice above a whisper while his beautiful blue eyes shone with unshed tears. Something tightened in Reigi's stomach and he turned sharply, shocking the blonde, to kiss his mother.

They separated after a while; the blonde's pale cheeks a little pink.

"Don't apologize," Reigi said, standing straighter and stepping closer to press his lips against the tousled golden hair. They stared at each other for a while before they both leaned in, sharing another kiss.

Small hands reached behind the taller man and they broke at the same moment he pressed their bodies together. "I feel like I don't deserve your kindness after all I've done, Rei."

"Don't say that," the dark-haired man replied, returning the gesture. He rested his chin on the soft locks and gazed out the open window.

"I'm sorry."

"And don't apologize," repeated the young man, smiling to himself, tightening his hold on the small shoulders. "The only one who needs to do the apologizing is that bastard you taught me to call Oyaji."

Naruto laughed slightly, still unwilling to let go off his son, not that Reigi minded. "I guess you're right."

"Then let's get you cleaned up and downstairs," announced Reigi in finality. They separated and shared a brief kiss before Reigi picked his mother up and deposited him on the sink counter. "I'll wait for you outside. You _will_ eat those nasty things later after breakfast. I'll carry you down if I have to…not that I'm against that idea anyway."

After another brief kiss, Reigi shut the door of the bathroom and waited at the table for his mother, a smirk on his face.

…

The distance between their room and the dining room were really quite far. Whilst their room was only on the second floor, it was inconveniently on the west side of the mansion while the dining room was on the east side on the ground floor.

Naruto managed to reach the stairs connecting the ground floor and first floor when his energy seemed to leave him and he had to resort to Reigi to carry him, bridal-style much to his embarrassment, all the way to the kitchen.

As they passed the first hallway, a maid by the name of Naomi spotted them while arranging the flowers.

"Naruko-sama!" the girl cried, running towards them with tears in her black eyes. Reigi carefully lowered his mother to the ground and stood back a bit. "I missed you so much over the past month! I have been waiting for them to assign me to clean your room but the closest I could get was the reading room on the first floor! Fukou-kun has been saying that you were doing pretty well and that you have been pink lately!"

"Naomi-san…" Naruto said, a little overwhelmed. "If you had wanted to, you could just come and see me anytime, I don't mind."

"No!" both Reigi and the girl said at the same time, startling the blonde.

"I cannot let my selfishness disrupt your health, Naruko-sama!"

"You need your rest, Naru-kaa-san!"

"And this act is looked down upon between us maids!"

"Do you realize how tired you have been lately?!"

Naruto could only back away slightly from the both of them, his hands held up in front of him while nodding his head. "I – I understand…"

"We should get going now," Reigi said with a huff, swiftly sweeping his mother of his feet. "Naomi-san, you should hurry to the kitchen. I bet there's a lot of work to do still."

"You're right, Reigi-sama!" The enthusiastic girl said, clasping her hand in front of her. She bowed deeply and excused herself before running for the kitchen.

"What's the rush for?" Naruto mumbled to himself. Reigi just smirked and began making his way to the dining room.

"I told you someone misses you," the younger man said, the smirk apparent in his voice. "You're not alone, Naru-kaa-san."

The blue eyes widened at the words before clenching shut and pale hands gripped tighter at his son's shirt. 'I was only ever alone as a child but because I chose to follow Sasuke that I left my friends behinds.'

"Ah." Reigi suddenly halted and walked over to a window. Naruto peered curiously from his son's chest to the view outside the window. There was a white fountain, looking very old and some parts were darkened by moss and covered by vines and yet it was still working, spraying water to the sky. Around the fountain were trees and a lone broken wooden chair that leaned against a greying white wooden fence. A green-yellowish boulevard stood proud a little on the right of the fountain and leaves decorated the dirt ground along the way. Cobblestone lined the floor around the fountain, looking worn with moss and dirt and grime covering it. "It's going to be autumn soon. This place would look nice being all red and yellow; don't you think so, Naru-kaa-san?"

"Yeah, it would," answered Naruto, watching two squirrels run across the cobblestone and up to the trees.

"I bet it would look even nicer with you sitting by the fountain, Naru-kaa-san," Reigi joked, letting the blonde to his feet and letting the entranced man stare a little longer. There was something about the faraway look in the blue eyes that told him his mother was reminiscing. This place used to be where he and Reigi played in when he was much younger, probably about four to five. "Let's go out sometimes."

"Sure, if you want," replied the blonde, turning to look at his son with the beautiful sky blue eyes. Reigi couldn't help but smile at the innocent picture his mother gave.

Reigi lowered his head and Naruto hesitated before leaning in and pressing their lips together. A tan hand slid to the back of the blonde head and added pressure to their kiss. Pale hands reached around the larger waist and rested on the younger man's hips as if to embrace him. A tongue probed at the pink lips before Naruto eagerly opened his mouth to allow the tongue to enter. A soft moan escaped the blonde when his son groped him.

A loud clang from a metal tray falling on the floor was what tore them from each other and they stared at an appalled Sanada who had unfortunately confirmed her fears.

"I – I thought you were related by blood," she said with a horrified expression. Reigi stepped in front of his mother, as if the woman would suddenly attempt to kill his mother.

"Whoever I'm with does not concern you, Sanada," Reigi bitterly said before turning away and bending to pick up his mother but was stopped by pale arms. Naruto shook his head slightly before nudging him to start walking away. When they were a hall away from her, Reigi turned his head to his mother. "What was that all about?"

"I have reasons," Naruto said, looking at his feet. "I don't even know what reasons I have but I have reasons."

Reigi chuckled lightly at his mother's logic and didn't bother to continue about Sanada. That woman only knows to look at a man's wealth and face. His mother was by far a better lover than that disloyal maid can be; and an even better 'woman' than that slut could ever wish to be. He let out a satisfied snort at his comparison before sneaking up behind his mother and picking up the silent man.

"Walking will just take too long," Reigi said under his breath, collecting chakra to his feet. He winked at the bewildered man in his arms before sprinting in a blur towards the dining room.

It took roughly about two minutes before Reigi halted in front of a set of heavy wooden doors that were close. He gently set his mother on his feet and pushed the double doors open. Naruto gasped as his eyes travelled around the room.

The room was decorated lavishly with balloons and ribbons. Confetti showered on top of them as they stepped into the dining room. Workers around the mansion who he was well acquainted with were scattered in the room, smiling and waving at him. The table was filled heavily with many kinds of food and drinks and in the middle a large cake stood proudly with the words 'Happy 19th Birthday, Reigi-sama' in red icing.

-----------------

A/N: It's the longest I've ever written and I plan to make it even longer in the next one. Just so you know, this one was already done by the end of September but since I wanted to know what my friend thought of it first, I gave her a copy for her to read it. She didn't read it until now so I got tired of waiting for her and posted this up. Sorry if there are a lot of mistakes. She's supposed to be my BETA but if I wait anymore, it would be November by the time I put this up. I'm a bit angry with her though but there's nothing I can do about that. I mean, reading Air Gear, Futari H, and watching Ouran High School Host Club and Cardcaptor Sakura is much more important than reading a crappy fanfiction done by a friend.

If you're reading this, Shiro-kun, I was being sarcastic!

I'm sorry for venting my frustrations out like this. I'll probably regret it later but then again… she won't read it. She won't read this because she 'forgot'. Of course, she won't forget to read other fanfics; it's just mine that she'll forever forget.

I should stop before I cry.

Please review! It would make me feel a lot better...


	7. A Year Older

Disclaimer: I'm as unlucky as everyone

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, slight SasuNaru

A/N: Firstly, I'm sorry for the long wait! Second, ukkyu! And third, please read and review!

Oedipus Complex

Feshnie

Chapter 7: A Year Older

_He looked at pale hands and flexed it before turning back to look into the large mirror at a pale young man with shoulder-length blonde hair. His eyes trailed down to his chest where pink nipples stood proudly, stiff from the cold. His eyes travelled lower till it reached his limp manhood. He stared at its size before turning away and unfolding a bathrobe that was neatly folded on a chair near him._

_After placing it on and securing the tie around his small waist, the door opened and he saw, with a churn in his stomach, Sasuke walk into the room, holding a blue bundle in his arm. He hurriedly ran to the man and took the bundle into his arms. The baby wrapped in the blue blanket only shifted slightly before returning back to slumber._

"_How does it feel?" Sasuke's cold voice interrupted the silence, making Naruto look up at him._

"_I can get used to it," Naruto replied with a small voice, hugging his son to his chest protectively as if someone was about to jump out of the shadows and take him away. "It's not like it hurts anymore."_

"_Then you can return to your room," ordered the father of the small infant, turning to leave the room with an air of chill. "It has already been set up."_

"_Thank you," Naruto mumbled, turning away from the door to gather his things before moving to his new room._

---

"Rei," Naruto spoke after a while of looking around in awe. "This is…wow. It's not even my birthday and yet I'm the one surprised."

The dark-haired man of nineteen grinned largely, steering his mother to the edge of a table where it was full of chips, creams, fruits and pies. The chef, Shintouji-san, neared them and Reigi left the two to get drinks.

"How have you been, Naruko-sama?" the elder man said, bowing slightly. Naruto smiled warmly at him.

"I've got to say I've seen better days," Naruto replied with a sigh, still smiling. "But recently Rei has been overwhelming me in more ways than one."

A thick brown-grey eyebrow rose at the hidden insinuation but he didn't plunder deeper at the implication as he offered a plate of apple slices. Naruto took one with a 'thanks' and sunk his teeth into the fruit, sucking on the juices before eating it.

The evening was filled with light music and chatters as Naruto spent time walking around the dining hall and talking to everyone. Reigi complained, quietly to his ear with a disappointed voice, that the party seemed more like a funeral than it did to a real party and he deliberately started a food fight by throwing strawberry jelly to Naomi.

Naruto felt a little at ease, amongst the continuing hurtles of food everywhere, when a fellow gardener, who came in a little late, told him that he saw Sanada still doing some sweeping at the front door. Only god knew how much he wanted to avoid that woman.

When it was time Shintouji, who had miraculously pulled the cake into the kitchen moments after the war ensued, announced that Reigi was to cut the cake, Naruto, his hair covered in pineapple jelly with nuts, his back smothered with pie and the side of his face slightly grazed by chocolate, was brought to stand in front of the cake with Reigi, whose back covered by blueberry pie, the left side of him covered by apple juice and his chin was swiped with a banana split. The knife was held in his hands while Reigi's hands closed around his. After a loud and energetic birthday song, the knife was slid into the spongy blueberry cake. A slice of cake was produced and he was given the privilege of feeding it to Reigi who took a large bite. The remainder of the slice was taken from his hands by his son and he too was fed. The crowd cheered and laughed at Naruto's blush.

Gradually, the party came to an end and Reigi announced that it was time for them to return to their room. With a wave and a thank you and sorry, they left the festivity. As they neared the stairs going up to the first floor, Naruto felt his head spin. He reached out a pale hand to Reigi and the man stopped in his tracks.

"Naru-kaa-san, what is it?" asked the young man worriedly, holding the small shoulders in his hands and peered at the slightly crouched form. His mother's face was as white as paper and his lips parted as if he wanted to say something but nothing came out before he collapsed to Reigi's chest. "Naru-kaa-san! Someone! Help! Kabuto-sensei!"

…

He opened his eyes a slight fraction before blinking once to get over the haze of sleep and looked around. Murmurs could be heard somewhere but he couldn't decipher what it said. Two silhouetted figures stood with their backs upon him, one sitting and one standing, in front of what appeared to be a working desk and a bright table lamp. At closer inspection, he noticed that he was in one of the underground rooms, ones which walls were of the colour of mud and nearly always smelled dusty, with rows of bookshelves lining the walls and boxes stacked at available spaces. Books, papers and scrolls were scattered on the floor while a pile of clothes was standing, rather unruly, by one of the two doors in the room. He also noted that he had been striped to the skin and laid under a grey blanket.

"Kabuto," he spoke softly and the two figures straightened and turned towards him. The one who had been sitting down stood up and made his way to his lying form but not before murmuring something to the other one. Naruto blinked once more and stared at the other figure, trying to make out who it was.

"The brat's not here, if you're wondering," spoke the familiar cold voice, sounding indifferent and unconcerned. Naruto turned away and gave a small frustrated sigh for no particular reason.

"How are you feeling?" asked the man who he had referred as Kabuto, helping him sit up. The blanket pooled around his waist.

"Wish I felt better," answered Naruto tiredly as Kabuto examined his body closely, the tips of the fingers placed with a small amount of chakra, prodding and poking at certain places, checking his pulse, inspecting his eyes and in his mouth, until he was satisfied.

"It's been too long, Sasuke-sama," said Kabuto with a sliver of forlorn. He turned away and walked to the messy table, where he inspected papers and opened books; all the while Sasuke had been silent. "If Naruto continues using it, he won't last long. It can be fixed but the expenses are higher compared to just transferring it to a new vessel and it would probably last much longer than having it fixed."

Naruto feigned a small cough and after seeing that the two had turned towards him, lay on his side, his back facing them, while pulling the blanket to his chin. "I hate to listen to people talking about me as if I'm an object and not in the same room."

"If there are no suitable vessels, I can have it arranged so that my men can start scavenging in a nearby village for a new one."

"No need," Sasuke murmured, yet his voice seemed to be carried to every part of the room, sending a shiver down Naruto's spine. Silence filled the room for a while and the blonde felt something ominous approach him before a shadow fell onto his body and grew steadily larger, then a hand fell onto his waist. "I already have a vessel."

Naruto tried to shift away from the offending hand but felt it grip firmer.

"When can it be done?"

"Immediately, Sasuke-sama."

…

The dark sky was clear that night along with the stars, which looked like diamonds among a still, black sea, and the moon, shining the brightest among the pearls in the vast sky, was present to the onlookers below.

One of them, finally turning the age of nineteen that day, was Uchiha Reigi, the son of the oddest mix of genes of Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. He was currently waiting for the arrival of the latter parent whom had collapsed after his planned birthday party. He had sent the small and ashen-faced man to the family doctor, Kabuto-sensei, in moments notice after it had happened.

That was scarcely ten hours ago and now his patience was wearing thin by anxiety and guilt.

He had paced the room, played with kunais, arranged the bed countless of times, ate his dinner, took a shower, paced the room, did target practice on a doodle of his father's head, folded the dirty clothes, paced the room again and even carved his full name on every chair in the room yet it still didn't stop him from feeling worried, useless and bored. Currently, he was trying to carve the sharingan on the veranda but every now and then he would find his eyes trailing upwards to stare at the moon that his mother was so fond of and he would be reminded of the man.

He sucked in a breath of the cool night air, as he closed his eyes, and felt the inside of his mouth dry, leaving a chilly feeling, before he blew out, his mouth feeling warm once again. He gave a grim lopsided smile before opening his eyes to look at the moon once more. A slight shadow blurred the side of the moon already and he turned away, placing the kunai that he had carved the sharingan with into his pocket, to step inside his room.

The lights were off as if the occupant had fallen asleep or were not present in the room. Reigi didn't feel it was necessary without his mother there with him because his trained eyesight could see well through the moonlit room. The room felt disturbingly empty and dark without the blonde. The silence in it felt heavy and secretive as if there were wordless whispers running around that he couldn't catch. Every breath that he took in the room sounded as if it could rattle the glass and footstep, in and out of the room, echoed vividly that every unknown footstep outside the closed door sent a shiver down his spine.

The room seemed empty, silent, dark, lifeless and suffocating without his mother's presence in it.

It was as if he had taken his mother for granted all this while.

The door creaked open and Reigi's senses were immediately on alert, looking at the newcomer. Heavy footsteps entered slowly inside and he stiffened.

"Evening, Reigi-sama," Kabuto's firm voice filled the silent room

"How is he, Kabuto-sensei?" he asked in a low voice.

"He's fine. Sasuke-sama wants you to pick him up now," the older man said, beckoning him to the door. Reigi followed without question and they walked in silence, Kabuto leading while he made the rear.

They descended four flights of stairs, going deep under the mansion where the doctor spent most of his time in. Laboratories upon laboratories lined the first level underground with toilets and storerooms squeezed between while rooms upon rooms, all of which their door were shut and locked, filled the second level. A faint light and buzzing sound came from the stairs leading deeper but they passed it without a second glance. Reigi was led to the sixth room, which door stood ajar and a dim light escaped through its cracks.

"He's inside," Kabuto said before bowing and leaving.

Reigi, feeling excited and relieved to finally be able to see his mother, didn't bother to bow and quickly pushed open the metal door.

Naruto stood, as if in a trance, in front of a full-length mirror, not a single thread on his body. The light, coming from the mouth of a serpent figure on top of the mirror, made the blonde look like an angel with his pale white skin and bleach blonde chest-length hair. A towel lay limp in a C shape around the blonde's feet.

Words left him as he stared shamelessly at the naked man, drinking in the sight of his narrow shoulders, thin arms, small waist, round buttocks and lean legs. The man in question, however, sighed tiredly and left the towel on the floor for a bathrobe on a chair near the mirror.

While Naruto was fastening the tie around his waist, Reigi sneaked up behind his mother and slipped both hands around the now covered waist. The blonde let out a small yelp and turned his head slightly to see the smirking face of his son.

"Rei, you scared me!" Naruto said breathless, slumping tiredly in his son's embrace. Reigi laughed softly into his mother's ears and began to kiss his way down and up the blonde's neck. "Hey, that tickles. How long have you been watching me?"

"Hmm… let me see…" Reigi began to unfold the tie of the bathrobe and parted the robe so that the both of them were staring at the mirror that was reflecting a lot of Naruto's naked flesh. "From before you put on this offensive piece of cloth."

"Rei…" the words that followed died in his mouth as Reigi claimed his lips in a bruising kiss. A tan hand began to pump the limp member, earning him moans and gasps and a lot of writhing as a new arousal stood proudly in between a pair of pale legs.

"I missed you."

…

They had somehow ended up in their room after the unexpected intercourse in the underground room. Reigi was petting the long blonde hair of a beautiful woman leaning on his chest. The both of them were staring out the window, tired but unable to sleep.

"I haven't given you a present," said Naruto after a while, running her fingers aimlessly around her son's nipple.

"You don't really have to, Naru-kaa-san," the man replied distractedly.

"But I want to," the woman insisted, sitting up and crawling nearer so that her face was on level with her son's. "And – and I already have the perfect gift."

"Oh yeah?" Reigi asked playfully, leaning up to kiss the red lips. "Then, where is it?"

Naruto smiled and sat up, Reigi following her a second after.

"How long has it been since we last had sex?" Naruto asked eagerly, a faint blush coming to her cheeks. Reigi laughed at the question but made a pondering face before answering it a second later.

"About 20 minutes ago. Why, do you want another round, Naru-kaa-san?" Reigi smirked at the flushed look his mother was now sporting but it faded slightly when the blonde took his hand and placed it on her flat stomach.

"There's no doubt about it now," Naruto said in a low voice, ending with a happy sigh. The grip on Reigi's hand tightened slightly before a tear slipped down flushed cheeks, startling the man. "I'm pregnant, Rei; with your child."

Rei could only gape stupidly before a grin broke and he pulled his mother to his chest, where happy tears continued cascading down flushed cheeks. Just as sudden, he pulled away and stared into his mother's eyes.

"How are you sure?"

"I would've turned back into a man 10 minutes ago if I weren't pregnant," Naruto explained, wiping her tears with her left hand. A larger grin appeared on her son's tan face and he hugged her more tightly.

"This has to be the best birthday present I've ever had."

"I love you."

…

Surprisingly, Naruto woke up about half an hour after dawn to the sight of slender, delicate fingers lying limply balled on her pillow. She smiled happily yet tiredly at the sight of her female body as she climbed out of bed.

After taking a bath and dressing up, in her own clothes this time, Naruto heard a faint knock on the door and a maid entering, no doubt to send her the breakfast. It seemed that the maid herself was shock with the blonde's appearance that she nearly dropped the tray.

"Who – who are you? What have you done to Naruko-sama?!" the maid all but shouted, complete horror on her face.

"Ah! I – I _am_ Naruko, seriously," Naruto said, backing against the wall when the maid really dropped the tray and pulled out a pocket knife, which she was brandishing shakily at the blonde. The maid was apparently the batch that arrived after Reigi was born and had never seen her in this form.

"You're lying! I'm not blind! Naruko-sama is a man and you are not!" shouted the maid hysterically, stepping closer but still shakily holding the knife in front of her.

"I seriously am! I gave birth to Rei. In this form!" Naruto all but shouted, pressing herself more flatly to the wall. The maid blinked and lowered her weapon slightly. "Have no one ever told you the story behind Rei's birth and the reason he had a male for a mother? It's because I can change into a woman!"

The maid stared slightly sceptically before a sudden realization dawned on her and she dropped the pocket knife. "I'm so sorry, Naruko-sama! I had never counted that I'll ever be able to see the other side of you!"

"Don't worry about it," the blonde said with a relieved sigh, detaching from the wall and tried to help the maid to clean the mess she had caused.

"Ah, please don't, Naruko-sama! I can do it by myself," the maid said frantically, picking up the larger pieces of the shattered plate and cup and placed it on the tray. "Please wait here while I call someone to clean this!"

"I'm about to head for the dining room also. So, just wait for me to grab something, okay?" Naruto said to the flustered maid and she nodded vigorously. Walking over to the bedside table, she pulled the drawer open and took a small wooden box, scarcely the size of her male palms, which she then slipped into the pocket of her light blue jacket. She turned towards the maid and walked to the door, overstepping the pile of spoiled breakfast.

About ten minutes later, Naruto was peacefully seated in the dining room waiting for her breakfast. The dining room, which just a day ago withstood hurtles and splatters of many kinds of food and gravy, now looked spotless clean with crystal clear, shiny floor, clean walls, two rows of neatly arranged wooden, carved chairs and a polished table. She was seated farthest from the entrance on the right side, near to the large glass window.

She stared longingly at the peaceful scene outside the kitchen. A garden of roses were planted into a waist-length little maze surrounding a white stone fountain with a statue of a naked boy holding a pot pouring with water while surrounded by 'u' shaped fishes, water coming out of their mouths. Beyond the maze of roses, were fields of grass with a single dirt road that led to the forest about twenty feet away. A lone log lay amidst the green grass, surrounded by earth crawlers and mushrooms and fungus. The lazy wind swept the area in a beautiful wave, taking Naruto's breath away.

"It's a nice day to be outside, isn't it, Naruko-sama?" asked Shintouji, startling the blonde. The sound of the clattering of a trolley announced the arrival of her meal.

"Yes, it is," she answered as her attention was diverted from the garden by the delicious smelling aroma of her breakfast. "Sit with me, Shintouji-san, please?"

"As you wish, Naruko-sama," the older man said with a bow before taking the chair next to the blonde. Years ago, even before Reigi was born, Naruto would always ask the chef to accompany her while she ate. They would talk about trivial things while Naruto worked the food down slowly. Naruto enjoyed the man's company and the same went otherwise. Shintouji was one of the closest people she came to associate with since she moved into the mansion.

Silence filled the dining room for a while, the only sounds disturbing the peaceful quietness was the sound of metal on china.

"It's been so long," Shintouji began, pulling Naruto's attention to him. The aged dark brown eyes stared at a painting of a small cottage on a prairie. "That I was starting to forget how beautiful you are as a woman, Naruko-sama."

Naruto blushed at the statement and immediately busied herself with scooping teaspoonfuls of sugar into her tea. "Rei would probably get jealous hearing that coming from you."

An amused chuckle met her ears and made a small smile appear on her face.

"It feels pleasant to enjoy these moments with you, Naruko-sama. I daresay even nostalgic," the man said, his voice full of gratitude and a kind of tiredness that sounded as if he had gone through a lot of mishap in his life yet still enjoyed it; a wise tone of an old lad as Naruto preferred to call it. "It makes me treasure it all the more and keep on hoping for more visits in the future."

"I'll be able to come down more frequently now," Naruto said though her voice held unhappiness. "I received a new vessel yesterday."

Shintouji seemed to understand for he felt pity towards the person sitting next to him. The blonde continued busying herself with her breakfast.

"So whose child is it?" asked the man innocently, nearly making the blonde spit out her tea.

…

There was joy and anxiousness as she hurriedly approached the tall, heavy double doors full of intricate carvings in the entrance hall, a skip in her steps. She stopped as she arrived and took a deep breath to calm her excited nerves and pounding heart.

"This is finally it," she mumbled under her breath, placing a hand on her chest and another on the brass handles and pulled the door open. It creaked slightly and light immediately crawled in through the doorway, casting a shadow behind her small body.

A small gust of wind swept over her, running through her blonde hair, whispering on her flushed cheeks and flapped playfully on her thin jacket. The feeling sent a pleasant shiver down her spine as she stepped out of the mansion after years and years of separation from the outside world.

A content sigh escaped her lips, her eyes taking the wondrous sight of stone tiles instead of marble tiled floors. She turned to her left and began making her way through a slightly smaller path than the main pathway lined by a short rose hedge on her right and the mansion's mossy walls on her left. She walked deeper and deeper, sometimes stopping to smell the roses or stare at the birds soaring freely in the bright blue sky. At the edge of the hedge of roses, stood a lone tree and a shed a little away. She took a left turn, facing a slight darker part of the mansion's backyard where her son was surely trying to fend off his father's attacks. She gingerly took a step forward, watching the forest, slightly away from the mansion, with an interested look. A sudden sound of a tree breaking in the distance made her turn sharply towards it, at a part of the forest that stood divided from the mansion by a river of crystal clear water.

A smile made it to her lips and she walked to the river slowly, taking in the sight of the training grounds that she had long since stepped on. A ghost of a memory came to her as she saw herself holding a little Reigi by the river, their laughter whispering in her ears. A gust of wind swept through her once more, bringing with it the memory of several years ago.

She let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and looked up at the dark woods, its trees swaying in secrets and its darkness shadowed by mystery. She shuddered slightly, both from the chill of the afternoon and the gazes of the sea of tall trees.

"Naruto," an even voice called out to her from behind. She hesitantly turned, coming face to face with a burly man twice her height. Honey-brown bangs fell over emerald green eyes, thin lips set in a frown, slightly pointy ears peeked in between thin layers of brown hair and his skin was of the colour of sand, tan and rough looking.

"Syuruke," she regarded with a nod, shifting her eyes away from the person's piercing eyes.

"You shouldn't be here," the man said, his voice firm and deep. "The grounds are dangerous at this time."

As if to prove this point, a large branch hurtled their way from deep within the dark forest. She staggered slightly, her arms instinctively covering her face and bracing herself for the impact of wood on skin. A loud crunching and breaking made her peer through her lashes at the man before her whom had deflected the branch as if it was a mere fly.

The man turned to her and stared into her sky blue eyes with his piercing green. A deeper frown embedded on the thin lips as the man looked her up and down. She blushed without meaning to before quickly looking away, mumbling a curt 'thanks'.

"You should return," Syuruke spoke after a while. "I don't want shishou's wrath upon me."

Naruto slowly nodded with deject. She had not been able to see even a flicker of midnight dark hair or tan skin through the dense trees and it felt unfair that she had to return back without seeing her son. With slow steps, she approached the mossy walls of the mansion and cast a longing look at the trees before making her way back to the rose garden.

…

It was probably 2PM when Reigi reached the entrance of the mansion. A small scar, the result of a kunai, was apparent on his forehead and he was feeling extremely tired. Today, his father was, without a doubt, a happier man than the death god could ever be and Reigi, having to face the much violent Uchiha, couldn't help but feel that he had brought death upon his doorstep.

"I got a birthday present _and_ a death wish," he muttered irritably, climbing the few steps to the giant doors.

"Rei?" an all too familiar voice called out and he very nearly tripped, whirling around in disbelief. His aching muscles and thoughts of the death god quickly disappeared.

"Naru-kaa-san?" he managed to refrain the thought of, 'what the hell?' from becoming vocal as he abandoned the stairs and stood before his mother. A happy smile lighted his mother's face as she wrapped her hands around the larger waist. He couldn't help but blink stupidly and flush.

"What are you doing here, Naru-kaa-san?" asked Reigi once the hold around his hips loosened. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"I felt healthy today that I decided to take a walk in the garden," Naruto answered eagerly, taking his hand and leading them towards the west side of the rose garden, walking through a small path lined by the hedge on their left and the mansion walls on their right. "I wanted to go see you but Syuruke made me come back so I took a walk as a change."

"Oh." Coherent thoughts left the man as he let himself get pulled by his excited mother. Deeper and deeper they went and it was about two minutes later that he knew just _where_ he was being pulled to.

The boulevard stood beautifully just like how they had left it the day before. Their hands separated and the blonde took a seat on the fountain edge, palpably smiling as she looked around.

"We're here now," his mother said with a voice full of nostalgic, smiling with inexpressible content. Reigi sat by his mother's legs and felt a smaller hand comb through his dark hair. Reflex made him rest his head on his mother's lap as they both stared around in silent. "Where I grew up, there was a kind of boulevard at the main road."

He jerked his head slightly. His mother very rarely mentioned about her hometown. They were mere description as she shied away when he asked what her village's name was or who her friends were.

"It was near the front gates and the academy was just nearby," continued Naruto, her hand buried distractedly in her son's hair. "I can't really remember much clearly how it looked like…maybe it has changed already. But there was a stone road, a wide one that I often walked on. When I was much younger, I often sneaked around the doors playing pranks on newcomers or villagers living there. My academy teacher always got mad at me."

Reigi paid earnest attention at the reminiscing woman, her eyes staring at the sky between the lines of trees, a warm smile on her lips.

"It felt like just yesterday that he was smiling at me after tying his forehead protector on me." The nineteen-year-old started at this, pulling his head from his mother's lap and capturing the woman's surprised eyes.

"You're a shinobi?" The shock in his voice was very apparent that it nearly seemed as if the man thought the idea of Naruto being such a thing ludicrous. Frowning, Naruto stared more fixedly at her son.

"Of course I am," she answered confidently, the frown on her face lengthening. "I wouldn't have been able to use chakra if I wasn't one."

"No one bothered to tell me," Reigi countered, leaning back slightly and pressing both his palms on the rough ground. "I just assumed that you knew stuff like that. I mean a lot of lower ranked people in clans let their offspring master chakra control for daily activities like cutting and lifting stuff. I just assumed you were from one of those kinds of clans. You never tell me much, Naru-kaa-san!"

The last sentence sounded accusing and Naruto gave a small snort. She wanted badly to retort, 'you never asked' but knew that he did at countless times but she always kept her lips pursed about detailed information.

"I assumed your father told you," the blonde said instead, turning away with a louder snort. After a moment of silence, which Reigi took to send a small glare at the turned face, she exhaled a long breathe and stared unseeingly at the cobblestone by her feet. "Do you want to know, Rei? About me, I meant."

"Of course!" the boy responded, sounding near exasperated, rolling his eyes. "I've always wanted to know about you, Naru-kaa-san."

His voice softened considerably by the end of the sentence and he took hold of his mother's slender hand before taking a seat next to the blond. A calloused hand gently brought the pale chin closer and they shared a brief kiss.

"Please tell me?" Reigi said, looking into the bright blue eyes. A warm smile made it to his mother's mouth and once again, they shared a kiss.

It could have been a giggle; it could have been a small laugh; but whatever it was, it made the man's heart light to hear some kind of entertained noise escape the blond. He asked why she laughed and was rewarded another bout of, maybe it was because his mother was currently a woman, giggles.

"It's just that, when I was young, I used to get so worked up when I saw people kissing in public. Maybe it was because I had no one to do it with and felt, embarrassingly, jealous," the explanation ended with another kiss by Reigi, which he took liberty in making the woman breathless and pink.

"Tell me, Naru-kaa-san," began the young man, attacking the plump lips once in a while. They were sitting rather close to each other and one of Reigi's hands had wandered to the back of the blonde's head while Naruto had one on her son's lap and the other on the hard chest. "I want to know more about you, the enigma that I fell in love with."

Naruto turned scarlet at this comment and pulled slightly away from the inviting embrace. A cute pout formed on the man's face and she repented with a light press of their lips before pulling away completely in favour of standing up. She offered a hand at her son who took it but didn't pull on it.

"Let's take a walk," the blonde said once they were standing face to face, a pair of hand, one large and tan while the other small and pale, still holding each other. The man smiled and gave a small bow while his free hand spread to his side as if beckoning for the blonde to walk ahead. Naruto smiled warmly at the invitation but didn't reciprocate as she turned to the avenue. Still hand-in-hand, they spent the evening walking through the forest while the blonde told her son about her past. Naruto felt a little at ease after telling her son about the Hidden Leaf Village from where she came from and there was a positive response from Reigi regarding the place, if the excited look and abundance of questions was nothing to go by. There had been a little tear while the story about the nine-tailed demon was spoken of but the man eased it with a kiss here and a nibble there. It was when she started relaying out names that her son really paid full attention, a small frown of concentration on his face, obviously wanting to remember every detail. What really made Naruto happy was the fact that Reigi didn't tense every time his father's name was mentioned.

It wasn't until the sun had began to sink that the man's stomach seem unable to withstand not being fed and growled angrily, destroying a cuddly moment they were sharing while they stared at the orange sunset. Naruto chuckled softly behind her hand while a sheepish Reigi requested they retreat for the day. Arms wrapped around the other, a smaller one across a waist and a larger one across a shoulder, they made there way to the back entrance of the house where it was nearest to the kitchen.

The hallway that met the back door was ten times narrower and two times longer than the front hall with a lower ceiling and wooden floor; yet, between the two halls, this one was much more packed. A shoe shelf, packed full of dark coloured sandals, shoes, a few zoris and one pair of getas, was placed nearest to the door. The metal door next to the shelf read 'Store' in black paint while the one across it read 'Discard' in blue paint. Stacks of white bedspreads, pillow-covers, and blankets were lined by the wall next to the 'Discard' room. A few empty bottles of ketchup were lined across the fabrics.

Naruto and Reigi finally let go of each other in favour of walking through without knocking into anything.

Further up, they found a bathroom with five shower stalls and two sinks while a toilet, its door closed, was across it. Small rooms began to be seen, most of which doors were left open, filled with two closets and two bunk beds. Names were scrawled in a small box on the doors. Some had three names while most had four and six rooms were left nameless, apparently yet to be occupied. In between some of the rooms, junks and various objects were placed, some orderly and some haphazardly, and Naruto had the grace to blush when a stray condom could be seen squashed under a chipped mug. A large box, near a closed room labelled 'Washing room' was filled a quarter with maid and butler uniforms with a few stray daily shirts.

Reigi scrunched his nose at a particularly sour odour as he passed the box.

A few rooms after that, a stone opening, which emitted a blinding light contrasting with the dim hallway, could be seen. A metal board with the words 'KITCHEN' carved into it was placed on the arc entrance. The sound of boiling, chopping, beating and rustles of people moving around met their ear along with the delicious smells of roast meat and a number of other foods filled their senses.

The blonde entered the kitchen first before Reigi did.

"Naruko-sama! Reigi-sama!" a thin man exclaimed at the sight of them and everyone stilled in the kitchen to stare at the intruders.

"Get back to work all of you!" Shintouji barked at the workers, wiping his hands on a clean towel while he made his way to the mother and son. "Can I help you with something, Naruko-sama?"

Reigi's stomach growled at that precise moment and Shintouji's eyes widened slightly.

"We're here because of that," said the blonde, pointing at her son's stomach with an amused smile. Reigi looked away sheepishly when the older man smiled and clapped his hands together.

"I'll get the dinner ready then. Please wait in the dining room, Naruko-sama, Reigi-sama," bowed Shintouji, beckoning them out of the kitchen.

They did so, walking through the tables and stoves to the dining room. Reigi immediately took seat at the head of the table; Naruto, however, lingered by the large window, looking at the progressively dark sky. After a while, her son left his seat to wrap his arms around the small waist, eliciting a startled jump from the blonde.

"What are you looking at?"

"Nothing in particular. Just…" the words trailed away as she turned back to the moonless sky. The young man behind her bent slightly to place a playful kiss on her neck, making her shiver.

"Just what, Naru-kaa-san?"

"Just being thankful."

…

His body was aching tiredly once he remembered what he had gone through that morning with his father. His left hand still had a slight static feeling from an overuse of the Chidori. His treatment, which was the presence of his mother, did last for quite some time but once the blonde was out of sight and sense, it just came back full force.

Aside from his pain, his head was buzzing with wonderments and thoughts about his mother's sudden 'energy'. Where had the small, weak mother that he grew up with gone to? Did it have something to do with the incident after his birthday party or was it just normal for all pregnant women – I mean people – to become so energetic all of a sudden? Shizumi-san, a fellow maid, was once pregnant with her eldest daughter and he had witnessed her carry the bulging tummy around the mansion for nearly six months. She looked very lethargic and easily irate as her tummy grew but there was no sign of her getting more energetic than her usual chipper self.

Could it be possible that he had mistaken his mother for someone else? Or if someone had kidnapped his mother and placed another woman to play the part of Naruko until they had thoroughly tortured the blonde. To which the impostor really sucked at. But this thought was quickly dismissed when he thought back about what happened that evening.

Reigi leaned back on the cold stone of the mansion wall and stared unseeingly out the low window of the tower, sighing in the darkness. He had half a mind about finishing what he came for but just sitting there seemed more preferable to hic aching muscles.

The door to the tower opened with force and was immediately stilled by a small hand so that it didn't bounce off the walls. Reigi turned slightly, watching from the corner of his eyes, half expecting his mother to appear, but straightened when the person walked into the moonlight.

"Sanada," he said irritably, a glare in his eyes. The woman stood arrogantly in front of his sitting form, bashing her eyelashes.

"I knew you'd be here, Reigi-_sama_," she said, her cloying tone making Reigi feel like gagging. "I was starting to wander when I would get the chance to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk to you," Reigi barked angrily, standing to his full height, towering the woman easily. She faltered only a step back but seemed to find the courage, a second later, to fling herself to him, surprising the young man.

"Oh, Reigi-sama! Please don't say that!" she wailed in mock agony before Reigi pushed her away. "Why do you treat me like this? Don't you love me anymore?"

"No," was Reigi's simple answer before he walked past her to the door but was stopped by a tug on his upper arm.

"It's because of Naruko isn't it?" Sanada's voice was wavering, sounding as if she was about to cry. The man frowned deeply at Sanada's gallant show of disrespect for his mother. "Can't you see he's not meant for you? You are both related by blood! There is no way it can work out even though you share feelings!"

"What makes you think you have the right to say that?!" Reigi bellowed, wrenching his arm from her hold, forcing her to the floor.

"No sin is bigger than what you're doing. Not only are you performing incest, but to a man! A person of the same gender! Are you so blinded by his forged love to notice such things?!" Her face had taken on a wild look.

"Don't you say such things about my mother!"

"He is turning you into some kind of freak! He is in love with Sasuke-sama, not you! You are a mere puppet that has been taken advantage of to fulfil his unrequited desires! I can see it in his eyes."

"Shut up!" Reigi yelled, controlling his desire to beat the crap out of the woman. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

"I know, Reigi-sama," she said, standing up but a little farther away. "But you don't need to worry. You are still able to escape from his clutches. I can help you. You mustn't let him continue brainwashing you. He's only using your love for his selfish gains without wanting to return his own feelings. Let him be a mere nightmare in your past. End what he initiated, Reigi-sama."

Silence fell in the tower for a while and Sanada nearly smirked triumphantly at the slumped shoulders of the young man before it shook and laughter rang loudly in the tower. She gaped, shocked to see Reigi laughing so hard.

"Are you kidding me?" he finally said, looking away from her face with a large smirk on his face. "'End what he initiated'? _I_ initiated it. _I_ am the one turning him into a freak! _I_ am using _him_ to satisfy _my_ desires! I practically raped him in the beginning! And you're telling me that I'm being taken advantage of? What a joke."

Sanada resembled a fish out of water at the words because her mind was having difficulty processing the information.

"Of course I know Naru-kaa-san loves Oyaji-teme but now he loves me. He said so himself," the words were said very tenderly as the previous smirk melted into a warm smile. "Stop talking nonsense, Sanada. You better get your facts straight before even thinking of turning me against my mother."

With that said Reigi turned on his heels and marched out the door, shutting it with a deafening bang. Sanada was left speechless and in rage. Stuffing her hand into her pocket and curling her hand around a small jar, she took out the aphrodisiac and threw it hard against the stone wall. It broke into a thousand pieces and scattered around the floor from the floor.

"I hate you, you stupid man-whore."

…

"How are you feeling?"

It was the second day that she had turned woman and in the morning, while eating her breakfast, one of Kabuto's helpers approached her. She was told that she needed to meet Kabuto for a check-up. That was how she ended up sitting half naked on the examination bed.

Naruto started slightly at the question, feeling a pair of chakra-fused fingers gliding over her abdomen.

"I'm feeling a lot healthier, if that's what you mean," answered Naruto truthfully. She couldn't help blushing when the fingers skirted lower, past the waistline of her pants.

"There's also nothing wrong with the temporary organs," Kabuto said, pulling his hand away and jotting a few notes on a piece of paper. He stood up and seemed to scrutinise the blond for a while before walking towards his desk.

Naruto openly stared at Kabuto after pulling herself up to sit straight. Disbelief still surrounded her at the thought that the man in front of her wasn't the Kabuto she once knew when she was a toddler. This man was the son of the former Kabuto that Sasuke had found after he raided the Akatsuki lair for his brother. Of course, Naruto didn't know much about the man because Sasuke wasn't really a talkative person and the fact that Kabuto himself had lost his memory when the cave he had taken refuge in collapsed didn't help at all.

The similarity between the father and son was undeniable except for the shoulder-length black hair and the rectangle glasses. There was also the fact that this Kabuto often dressed in a white long-sleeved shirt and a grey vest full of pockets. His skin was also deathly pale from insufficient sun exposure.

"Is there something on my back that has you staring, Naruto?" the deep voice asked playfully, not even turning. Naruto looked away in embarrassment and feigned a cough.

"Nothing. Just remembering stuff," she answered hastily. "Can I wear my shirt back now?"

This time, Kabuto did turn around and marched to her side. He placed a cool hand on the bare back making Naruto shiver slightly and ran his fingers over her spine. She arched her back slightly, exposing more of her breast as her head jerked back slightly and she sucked in a quivering breathe.

"What are you doing?" She asked, looking at the man from the corner of her eyes. Another hand slid onto her bare torso and urged her to lie down. The blonde did so without protest but still searched the impassive face for an answer.

"I need to check your lungs and your heart rate," Kabuto explained, gliding his hands at certain parts of her chest, his fingers covered by chakra to better enhance his sense of feel. "I didn't think you'd turn woman so soon after the operation. Your body is still in a delicate stage but it seems to be adapting to the transfer faster."

"I can't help my son's hormones," she muttered, twitching when the hot fingers brushed a nerve. Kabuto gave a small snort of laughter and received a glare from the blonde.

"You don't need to worry, Naruto," he said, pulling his hand away and handing the woman her shirt. She sat up and pulled the shirt over her head with a grunt. "The percentage of failure for your child is below 5. I can guarantee that. Just don't strain yourself emotionally and try taking more walks."

"How about the medicines?" Naruto asked, pulling the zipper of her jacket as she stood from the examination bed. "You told me that I didn't have to take it anymore but you still continued sending them to me."

Kabuto, his back facing Naruto, stilled in his actions and kept to himself for a while, seeming to arrange his words. When finally the man was ready to answer, the blonde had begun to wander if she should repeat the question. He slowly turned to face her and pale pink lips parted a fraction but no words came out. A second later, he clamped his mouth shut and looked away with something akin to frustration. Naruto was really curious now and vowed in her head to know the answer whether by force or not.

"Well?" she tried, cocking her head to the side slightly. Kabuto stared into the blue eyes for an answer and finally, with a frustrated huff, stepped forward and pulled the smaller body against his. Naruto was about to scream profanities when he began to whisper urgently into her ear.

"The medicines have lost its true purpose from the beginning. What they are doing is really eating your body up, making it weaker by the second." She gasped at this point, her eyes widened in disbelief. "But by eating it continuously, it lessens the decomposing period which is why you are told to take them everyday. Rei told me that you didn't eat it on that day and I suspect your body was too weak to ignore the pills for one day. It's like a drug that makes you addicted the moment you start and kills you the moment you stop."

"Then…why?"

"It is his way of keeping you here without a fight and killing you off naturally so that Rei wouldn't be so wounded by your loss." Naruto gasped, tears beginning to cloud her vision. How could Sasuke do this to her? "But the plan is no longer needed to be fulfilled because of the mission. I don't know what's going to happen after that but I can't promise that your life will be safe. I'm not the one who sends the medicines anyway. Those are done directly under his orders. That is why… That's why I told you not to eat it anymore after receiving the new vessel."

Kabuto pulled away to look into Naruto's tear filled eyes, full of betrayal and shock.

"Did you eat any since the transfer?" Naruto shook her head before lowering her face to the floor. "Good. It's better if you stay far away from it. Do – Do you want me to call Rei?"

"No, I need to be alone for a while," she muttered, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. Kabuto nodded his consent and stepped away.

"Would you like to stay here or…?"

"I'd like that, thanks."

…

The hallway was only dimly lighted and the floor was uneven so his steps were full of caution. The sound of water dripping from a leaking pipe above him was mixed with the sound of his harsh breathing and furious strides. The knee-length cloak that he had threw on in his haste were somewhat restricting his arms' movement as it fell over his shoulder from the force of wind and rush. His lungs burned from the cold air but he was determined.

A loud bang echoed in the hallway, coming from farther ahead. He stopped walking, forcing his harsh breathe to be silent and stepped into a shadowed part of the hall. His trained eyes took in the surrounding and the approaching figure, which was deeply immersed in a book to notice him. But by the way he walked through the uneven hallway leisurely, made it obvious that the person was used to such a place.

Then the guy slipped on a small stone and fell.

"Au…." The man stood up and brushed his pants but before he could bend down and pick his fallen book, he was forced to the wall by a fierce grip on his shirt. He wheezed as all the air seemed to be forced out of his lungs. "Who…? Reigi-sama!"

"Kabuto-sensei," Reigi hissed, tightening his hold on the young doctor. "I want you to explain, in not more than 5 sentences, why I found my mother bawling her eyes out on the veranda after coming back from your place. You can start now."

"I…" words seemed to fail him and Reigi pressed harder, making the man choke. "Release me and I will tell you!"

The younger of the two did so, albeit distrustful, and Kabuto sighed in relief before turning serious. They glared into each others eyes, sharingan spinning dangerously in one pair.

"I am not in the position to tell you about this," Kabuto began cautiously but cowered slightly when Reigi hardened his glare, a trait he took from his father. "If you are too curious, take it up with Naruto!"

Immediately, the doctor clamped his hands over his mouth, realizing his mistake.

"You know her real name?" asked Reigi in shock, his sharingan ceasing its spinning. "How could you know about it? Tell me!"

Once again, the younger of the two managed to pin the man to the wall with his hand buried in the doctor's shirt. This time, however, the man was lifted off his feet.

"Tell me!"

"I – I know all about Naruto's past. About the nine-tails and Konoha and why she ended up with Sasuke-sama," Kabuto blurted out in a rush. He clawed and tug on the strong hand but Reigi ignored it. "It was essential that I knew of her history if I was going to use that jutsu on Naruto!"

"What jutsu?!" the grip on the shirt tightened as well as the force keeping the doctor to the wall.

"The advanced Oiroke jutsu! Sasuke-sama had to create a new jutsu to hold the woman form longer so that the baby could form like a normal one!" Kabuto was having a difficult time breathing and talking at once, and his face was turning a sickly shade of blue, so the youngest Uchiha released him. He landed with an ungraceful thump and took in the much needed oxygen. "Sasuke-sama…he didn't want Naruto to go through another miscarriage. So, in order to prevent that, I had to know all I could about Naruto."

"Naru-kaa-san…went through miscarriage?" the disbelief and shock in Reigi's voice made Kabuto turn away. The sharingan had also disappeared. "Why didn't…"

"I tell you?" a new voice came from their left and both turned. Naruto was standing on the end of the hallway, eyes puffy and red, holding a white long coat. The both men could only stare as she made her way slowly towards them. "Maybe it was because I didn't think it was important or maybe I just didn't want you to know. Could it be because of the guilt that I felt for killing the baby? Or could it be because of fear of hatred that you would hold against me for killing your only other sibling?

"I didn't give it much thought because the past was the past. But then you asked me if you could have a brother. I made everyone who knew about the miscarriage swear to secrecy after that, including Sasuke but I knew deep down that my past would come back to hunt me," Naruto finished and stopped approaching them so that they were now standing about 10 inches away from her. Red eyes, from her previous break-down, now looked tired and lifeless as she held out the white long-coat to Kabuto. "Here, I borrowed it for a while because it was cold."

"I – it's – no problem," he finally said after a while, taking the offered object.

"I trusted you," Naruto said in reply, her voice full of betrayal and resentment that Kabuto could only look down in shame, his shoulders sagging.

"I'm sorry, Naruto," he whispered. "I didn't mean to – one thing happened after another – there was no other way and – and it was better me then Sasuke-sama!"

"So it's true then?" Reigi finally found his voice, approaching his mother. "About the miscarriage?"

Blond bangs hid blue eyes as the blonde nodded solemnly.

"Naru-kaa-san!" Reigi shouted, his voice bouncing off the walls, making Naruto and Kabuto jump in surprise. "Give me more credit! Why, in the whole freakin damn universe, do you think I would hate you because of what happened in the freaking past?! Didn't it register in your head that _I_ wouldn't be here if it didn't happen?! Would you have liked that?"

The incredulous look on Naruto's face would have made Reigi laugh had the situation not been so serious. He, instead, sighed and proceeded to hug his mother.

"I'm sorry for the whole 'wanting a sibling' thing. I didn't think it would lead to this," Reigi apologized, rubbing his mother's back absently. Naruto, having recovered from the shock, returned the hug, burying her face in Reigi's chest. "I'm really sorry."

"You're okay with it?" Naruto timidly asked, her voice broken by a sob. A chuckle escaped the dark-haired man.

"Of course I am. All I want now is Naru-kaa-san," Reigi replied, pulling away and leaning down to kiss Naruto. She blushed slightly, a tear escaping her eyes, and leaned up. Their lips were a few centimetres away and…

Kabuto coughed.

As if she had just been electrocuted, Naruto broke away from Reigi. Inwardly, the young man groaned and swore to cause bodily harm on the doctor once his mother was a safe distance away. He glared at him but the older man ignored him in favour of approaching his mother and placing the white coat over her shoulders while she wiped her tear with a handkerchief that he had pulled out.

"I'm also sorry, Naruto," Kabuto whispered into her ear. He stood straighter and spoke directly to Reigi. "I think it's better if we get to my room. It's warmer there."

Reigi was about to say 'no' to the invitation but Naruto nodded first and made her way to Kabuto's room. The owner of the room picked up his forgotten book and ran to open the door for her. Reigi's eyebrows twitched in annoyance. He never really liked this man very much because…the man had reasons to touch his mother and that got on his nerves a lot. Not to mention the maids kept saying the doctor was good looking and had a cute smile.

"Reigi-sama?" Kabuto called out, still holding the door open. The man in question only grumbled under his breath as he trudged unwillingly to the room.

The room was indeed warmer, unlike Kabuto's working place. Reigi wondered briefly if Naruto had ever set foot in the room. On one side of the room, two sofas were placed facing each other with a coffee table in the middle and a study desk a bit farther away. There was a closed door between the sofa and the study desk. On the other side, there was a bookshelf and a tidy bed. The room walls were bare and white. Reigi couldn't help but wonder where Kabuto kept all his clothes since the room had no kind of dresser or cabinet.

"Please take a seat," offered Kabuto, pulling up his desk chair for himself. Reigi tried not to become irritated when the man took a seat directly next to the blonde. He then saw why, as the older man pulled out a box full of medicines from under his coffee table.

"Why –" Naruto began to ask, eyeing the box timidly.

"Your unstable emotion can affect your body at this stage," said Kabuto, sounding professional. He took her hand and checked her pulse. Reigi watched silently from behind his clasped hand, stopping himself from pulling the hand that was touching his mother. "Please take off your clothes, Naruto."

The simple sentence was met with two different, but extreme, reactions.

"Here?! No way!"

"You pervert!"

"Can't you see Rei is here?!"

"Don't you dare do anything funny!"

"It'll be embarrassing!"

"I'll kill you!"

Both mother and son were panting by the time they had finished shouting and Kabuto was giving them both a disturbed look. "I – I am not a pervert, Reigi-sama. I'm a doctor. We can move to the examination room if you feel embarrassed, Naruto."

"No! It won't matter, right, Naru-kaa-san? I mean, I've seen you naked before. So there shouldn't be any problem, ne?" Reigi said in a rush, making Naruto turn scarlet.

"Okay…" she uncertainly said, unzipping her jacket. She could feel Reigi watching her intently and her face burned furiously. It was nearly a minute later that she was sitting half naked with a very intense gaze directed towards her. She tried to fight the need to cover her busty chest. Just like before, Kabuto pressed around her front and back with two chakra fused fingers but an inhuman growl could be heard when his fingers ran below her waistline. Naruto felt more than saw the young doctor flinch but he continued anyway.

"You're okay," Kabuto finally said in a small voice, retracting his hand away and jotting down notes on a paper he had pulled out from under the coffee table.

"Do you always keep things under your furniture?" asked Reigi, eyeing the coffee table as if something furry and grey would jump out of the box under it.

"Why yes," he answered monotonously, standing up and slipping the piece of paper into a thick folder. "If I place it somewhere else, this room would seem messy and I don't want my place to look like a rat's hideout."

Naruto felt that Kabuto had a lot of nerve saying something like that when his laboratory looked like a hurricane went through it but she kept her lips pursed as she redressed. Reigi, who had never stepped foot inside the man's laboratory, accepted the answer, nodding his head slowly with a contemplative look on his face.

"I even keep my clothes in a handmade closet under my bed," he continued offhandedly with his back against them. Reigi's eyes immediately sought out the object in question and looked at the white sheet covering whatever was under the bed. The sound of rustling paper made him turn back to the man. Kabuto had dropped three papers and was busy trying to align the file, with the words 'Naruto' written on the front, in his hands.

"Do you need help?" offered Naruto, already standing from her seat. He shook his head and threw the file onto the desk before bending to pick up the scatter of papers.

"It's fine," Kabuto said hastily, dumping all of them, file included, into a box under the table. "You should get some rest. I'm sure it's been a long day for you."

Naruto stared into space for a while, making Reigi and Kabuto exchange a brief look of confusion.

"Actually, there's something I wanted to ask your opinion on," Naruto finally said, turning to look back at the older man. "It's because of what you said earlier about those medications. Can I talk to you alone for a while?"

They both turned to stare at Reigi who stood up with an irate face and said loudly, "I'll be at the library if you need me. Don't you do anything funny, Kabuto-sensei."

"Rei!" scolded the blonde, blushing slightly.

"If I find out you stuck your hand down places it shouldn't be, I'll make sure you regret about it till you wither and die," threatened the younger man, glaring irritatingly at the doctor as he exited the room. "Jya!"

"I don't need to apologize for him, do I?" Naruto mumbled, more to herself.

"Of course not," Kabuto replied, taking a seat across of her, a seat that was previously taken by Reigi. "What is it that you need to ask my opinion for?"

"First I want to thank you for lying back there about the advanced Oiroke jutsu," said Naruto, grinning madly.

"It's hardly a lie," Kabuto countered back, grinning despite himself.

"But you shouldn't take name for a jutsu you didn't create."

"Ah well, Sasuke-sama won't mind if he didn't know." Dark eyes met bright ones in a contract of secrecy. "I'm sure you didn't want him to know about the real jutsu that I created. That would have brought out more questions."

"I don't know what to say to him when he finds out this baby isn't really mine," Naruto said with a pained expression. Kabuto reached out for her hand and rubbed the back of it with his thumb in an act of comforting the blonde. "I wonder how long it would take him to figure out that it's not possible for you to create that jutsu."

"How would it not be possible?"

"Because you arrived in this place five years after he was born, you dolt," she said playfully, gripping the pale hand harder. "That jutsu was created in order for me to impregnate _him_."

"Ah well, it was a spur of the moment thing," said Kabuto apologetically. "So, what is it you wanted my opinion on?"

"I – I want to escape," Naruto began, her face turning serious and determined. She clenched her hands and stared into Kabuto's dark eyes. "If all I have waiting for me here is death, I want to leave! I've had enough of the bullshit Sasuke has been feeding me! If my body is no longer in any danger, as you've said, help me leave this place, Kabuto!"

…

Keiko, a maid in her late thirties with a loving husband and two beautiful daughters, was doing her chores quietly in the library. Although it wasn't really her duty to clean there, she did it for a fellow friend who happened to be in charge of the place. It wasn't really a bother for her as she didn't have anything to do at the moment.

A bit away from her, a lone man was sitting in an armchair, reading a book about weapons. Her eyes glanced at the man with the frustrated face and quickly turned away when he looked up.

The clock on the wall struck ten and the 'Ding!' rippled loud and clear in the silent air of the room. Space seemed to have stopped as she glanced at the object emitting the noise. It was 10PM and the young master had yet to leave for his chambers. He looked tired and irate in her eyes and she felt sorry for whatever he had to go through in the day that would have reduced him to such a tension-filled face.

"I can't take this anymore!" The young master, Reigi, shouted in frustration, throwing his book into the air and it landed with a thud on the floor a little away from the armchair as he stood up. Keiko, alarmed, turned sharply to the man while clutching the duster to her chest. "It's already ten! She's still with that pervert and I'm stating the obvious! If she doesn't get here by a quarter past two, I'm going to make Kabuto-sensei eat dirt!"

Reigi was, apparently, talking to himself and she felt even more pity towards this man. This was usual since the man began nesting in the armchair about five hours ago. It was still bearable before since he started off just muttering nonsense and curses but it grew louder as time passed.

"Didn't it register in your stony head that she might have gone to bed already instead of going out of her way coming here?" the librarian, Shoudo, said in annoyance. Shoudo, who was more or less a playmate of Reigi since they were small, had less respect for the younger Uchiha than any of the workers in the mansion.

"I don't want you mocking my hard head, senpai," Reigi said with a frustrated sigh, flopping back on the velvet seat.

Three years above him, Shoudo had been like a brother to Reigi when they were small and often the boy came to play with Naruto and Reigi when his father, also a librarian and Sasuke's personal researcher, was doing his work. When his father died, about twelve years ago, Shoudo had stopped coming and was heard seen in the hidden mist village, living with his uncle. It was only last year that Shoudo came back to take his father's place in the library and join the research team.

The twenty-two year old was about to bite back a reply when the library door opened with a bang and came in a panting Naruto.

"Rei! I'm sorry it took so long!" She looked extremely happy with a flushed face from running and a dazzling smile on her lips. She practically ran to him as he stood up from the chair. Lips met lips as Naruto passionately kissed him the moment she threw her arms around the man. Shoudo and Keiko stood paralyzed by the scene.

Reigi, not one to miss the opportunity of making out with the blonde, returned the kiss with his own fervent one.

"Who –?" Shoudo began, turning to Keiko.

"That woman is Naruko-sama," Keiko said, staring unabashedly at the two. "I only heard of this from Naomi-chan. This is the same person who stepped into this place with the small lump in her stomach. I haven't seen her in ages."

"The rumoured woman form…" Shoudo breathed out, amazed with his luck at being able to see the form. "I didn't realize she's so magnificent."

"Naru-kaa-san…" Reigi felt breathless as they parted. "What…? Why…?"

"Are you willing to follow me, Rei? Even to the ends of the earth?" Naruto asked hurriedly, cupping Reigi's face and starring into the dark eyes with hope.

"Of course but what –?"

"Are you willing to leave the comfort and luxury of life that you have now for me?" Naruto pressed on more urgently, her lips beginning to curve upwards in happiness.

"Yeah but why are –?"

"Are you willing to leave the people you know and grew with to be with strangers for me?" continued Naruto, the happiness and anxiety in her voice increasing. Her eyes showed so much hope that it nearly looked glassy with tears.

"Definitely."

"Thank you, Rei," Naruto said, her voice above a whisper as she closed the distance between them again.

"I didn't know they shared that kind of relationship," Shoudo said in a lowered voice. Keiko, who had left her post to stand next to the man's table, nodded mindlessly. "I can't believe I'm not disgusted by this. I'm usually someone who can't stand incest and homos."

"Maybe it's because they look happy," Keiko absentmindedly replied, her eyes never leaving the couple. "And you'd be hated by the majority of the employees here if you have complaints against their relationship, I can assure you that."

"Just like Sanada?"

"Not that much, I don't think so," the woman said, shaking her head and finally looking at the man. "Sanada-san is loathed more than hated because of what happened nine years ago. You weren't there to see it unfortunately."

"Yeah, I would've whacked Rei on the head," muttered Shoudo, crossing his arms and snorting. "That oaf needs to be taught a lesson."

"But it worked out well in the end, didn't it?" said Keiko, turning back to the two just in time to see Reigi plant a brief kiss before letting go of the small waist and backing away slightly to stare into the flushed face.

"What's going on, Naru-kaa-san?" Reigi asked, searching his mother's happy face. Her lips, bruised from their brief make-out, stretched into a very happy smile.

"Let's talk in private," Naruto suggested, already tugging on her son's hand. She gave a very brief greeting to Shoudo and Keiko before walking away with Reigi on her side. Her son seemed a little bewildered as he cast a glance at Shoudo before he was swallowed in the dark of the hallway.

"Something tells me someone is going to get laid tonight."

"And to think I'm assigned to make the bed tomorrow."

"Good luck, Keiko-san."

…

In the end, Reigi didn't find out what his mother was so excited about but Shoudo's prediction had been true. He felt that the wild night had definitely made up for not knowing what was going on. Even his 'little friend' had managed to squirt out more than the usual amount and he felt extremely satiated. Yet, he felt cheated the morning after because his mother had specifically said that they were to talk in private but all that came from her mouth were arousing moans and pants, though he couldn't deny that it was a pretty interesting to hear those kinds of things.

'And to think we didn't really enjoyed such fucks with our first one,' he thought with a sigh.

He had left by dawn like usual and the sun was currently above his head. His father, who seemed suspiciously friendly that day, had let him be the pursuer today unlike the usual. This frustrated him greatly because it meant that, after all the training, he had always been the pursued because he was weaker than the man. Grounding his teeth in anger, he felt for the feeling of chakra in the air but failed.

'Stupid Oyaji,' he cursed to himself, finally making the decision to use his born gifts to search for his father.

He concentrated on his senses and felt chakra burn through his body even when he was suppressing it from his surrounding. The feeling of nails growing and nose twitching made his back burst in Goosebumps, his gums felt numb as his teeth grew sharp, dark blue eyes watered slightly as heat crept around his eyeballs as if someone was pulling it out and he could feel his body adjusting to the changes on his senses. Through any other point of view, it would look like the man was being burned alive by the red chakra surrounding him and that he was going through some spasm attack with all the twitching that he was doing.

"Ready or not, here I come, Oyaji-teme," he muttered to himself, grinning wildly in the darkness.

A little away and further up from Reigi's position, a lone blonde was sucking happily on her spoon, watching a flock of birds eat the bread that she had purposely dropped on the veranda.

"_If there is anything I can do__ to help, I'll do it."_

Naruto's smiled broadened as she recalled what Kabuto had said to her last night when she had talked to him in private. Her spoon fell with a plop into the uninteresting porridge and made some of it splatter messily on the table. A content sigh left her lips and she pushed herself away from the table. Reigi would no doubt say that exact word if –

"Oh shit! I didn't tell him yet!" Naruto slumped to the floor when she realized this, slapping herself mentally for getting so happy that she'd jump Reigi before even spilling out the reason _why_ she had jumped him. "I'm such a forgetful person! Argh!"

She was about to fall into depression when something crashed in through her window and landed with a loud crash into her table. Glass littered everywhere and a shard had even struck her on her chin. The chair, which fortunately didn't break, skidded to the wall by the force from the fall. Pieces of wood and splinters joined the shards. Once the dust began settling down, she could make out a silhouette of a man who was groaning in the middle, trying to get up.

Naruto, with blood running from the cut down to her neck, approached the person cautiously and almost gasped when she recognised who it was.

"Sasuke!"

The man in question turned to her and immediately stood up as if he had only tripped on a stone instead of crashing into someone's room and, apparently, breakfast. Unfinished and spoiled porridge stuck dirtily on the back of the Uchiha's haori and yukata sleeves along with small pieces of woods and a piece of the broken china. Tea, the drink that came with the porridge and was left to cool because Naruto thought porridge and tea shouldn't mix in her stomach, was dripping down Sasuke's hakama.

"I was actually thinking of asking who did this to you but that would be stupid," Naruto muttered, stifling her laughter at Sasuke's apparent distaste of the mess he had fallen into. "Instead, how'd Rei force you here?"

Sasuke opted to ignore the question as he stared around the room. Naruto looked away from the man, still managing to stifle her laughter, but looked back when Sasuke started moving, approaching the bed and reaching out his hand. Naruto peered curiously and let out a choked laughter when Sasuke began shrugging off his haori.

After a moment of hysterical laughter from the blonde, who could no longer stifle it, she managed to concentrate on the look Sasuke was sending her, a careful mix of annoyance, confusion, anger and a very small hint of embarrassment. It made her laugh harder and she had to clutch her stomach and sank to the floor before it subsided. By then, Sasuke had already pulled on Reigi's shirt and managed to swap his hakama for one of Reigi's baggy pants.

"You – you look like a – a shrivelled dog in those," Naruto had managed to point out in between her bouts of laughter. It wasn't necessarily true but since Reigi was a decent inch above his father with a broader chest and larger arms, the shirt and pants looked extra baggy when worn by the older man. It was also because the shirt itself was bigger than its owner. "I can never – understand your taste, Sasuke."

As Sasuke began approaching the blonde, the laughter died and Naruto, who had stood up, was trying very hard to blend in with the wall. It took only a few more strides before they were both standing nose to nose, the sharingan spinning wildly in a set of glaring eyes. The mirth in the sky blue eyes died and was replaced with fear of what the man in front of her might do. Her heartbeat increased when Sasuke's hand glided to her cheek and caressed it softly. She tried to pull away but her chin was forcefully drawn to him and hot lips descended upon hers, making her body grow numb and her hands fall to her side.

"Naru-kaa-san! Are you o –?"

Time felt as if it slowed down as Sasuke pulled away to turn at a disarrayed Reigi and midnight blue eyes widened at the picture before it. Naruto saw a glint of betrayal in it before it grew furious.

"What the HELL did you do to Naru-kaa-san?! And what are you doing wearing MY shirt AND pants, you freaking ASSHOLE?!!"

------------

A/N: Yay! Another long chapter! faints from finishing a chapter in the dead of night in the middle of an exam week

Shishou: Master. Kind of teacher like.

Haori: Hip- or thigh-length kimono coat. If you've seen the anime 'Bleach' you'd know what it looks like. The captains wear it.

Hakama: Divided or undivided skirt which resembles a wide pair of pants.

The first chapter that has been BETA'd by Shiro-kun. If there are still over five spelling mistakes or grammatical errors, tell me and I'll bash her head and have Tsunade do a German Surplex on her. Either that or I'm going to send a mob to her house.

By the way, Shiro-kun told me to shorten the chapter length

I guess she's right. So, for the next one, I'll probably reduce it by half (making it from 25 pages to 13 pages) Unless… someone tells me I can keep up the chapter length…

Read and review, onegaishimasu!


	8. Sayonara Aniki

Disclaimer: I'm as unlucky as everyone

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, KabuNaru slight SasuNaru

A/N: First, I hope I didn't make you wait for too long. Second, because of unseen events, Shiro-kun couldn't BETA this chapter so I'd like to offer apology beforehand for any mistakes in here. Third, read and review!

Oedipus Complex

Feshnie

Chapter 8: Sayonara, Aniki

_Naruto glanced at the back of the man he loved and bit his lips before turning away. His skin still stung and he felt numb on the parts below his stomach. The image of blood continually slipping out of him from the miscarriage made his stomach clench with unease. The feel of the scarlet substance on his hands and down his legs would forever hunt him._

"_We're here," Sasuke finally spoke, halting in his tracks. Naruto flinched and looked at the black metal door that they had stopped in front of. The dark-haired man knocked twice and backed away slightly._

_A boy, around the age of seven, opened the door and scowled at the sight of the Uchiha._

"_Kabuto." The name made Naruto look around, in search of the grey-haired man that he once knew. He thought the man was dead. Who knew he was still hiding? But even as he looked around, there was no sign of the bespectacled man anywhere. "Let me in."_

"_Hishi-sensei isn't here at the moment," the boy bit back harshly._

"_Hey, Sasuke, where's Kabuto?" Naruto whispered to the man, his blue eyes still darting around. Finally, it met with blazing red of the sharingan and his gaze was directed to the boy. "That's Kabuto? Did he shrink or something?"_

"_He's Kabuto junior," Sasuke simply said, pushing the boy to the side and marching in unwelcome. Red eyes scanned the scant furnishing until it returned back to meet sky blue eyes. Naruto was still dumbly standing in the middle of the door. "Kabuto's son."_

"_Oh…wait…HE HAD A SON?!" The outburst made the little boy run across the room and take cover behind an armchair. Pure annoyance was apparent on Sasuke's face and Naruto could sense the dangerous 'I'm-going-to-kill-you-if-you-say-another-word' aura. He gulped audibly and closed the door. "You should've told me this earlier. But come to think of it, where'd he disappear to?"_

"_Dead. Kabuto!" The boy shifted his frightened glare to Sasuke and his frown deepened. "Where did Hishizawa go?"_

"_He's in town buying medicine supply," answered Kabuto, his black waist-length braided hair swishing in the air as he turned to go to the back room. Naruto watched with amusement at the blue cloth tying the hair together; it had splatters of blood on it. Sasuke followed the boy but not before telling the blonde to wait there._

_And so Naruto waited, walking by the fireplace and staring at photographs of a middle-aged man with various people, he noted with interest that most of it was kids. One particularly large picture that hung next to a bookshelf earned his earnest interest as he neared it._

_The picture had a lot of faces of various expressions and he was taken by how true it looked even if it was just on printed paper. Hishizawa, Naruto deduced from the many pictures of him, was sitting in the centre with a small child in his arms and a girl hugging him around the neck from behind. The people in the picture didn't resemble anyone he had ever met and none of them wore a headband or any symbols that he knew._

_Just as he was about to touch the dusty glass of the frame, Sasuke emerged from the back room and told him they were to leave immediately. Kabuto, who had tagged behind Sasuke with a grim expression, turned to glare at Naruto. Completely taken aback by the kid's insolence, the blonde approached him to _at least_ give him a whack on the head but the kid, although rude, faltered in his glare and looked away, his usual pale cheeks rosy._

'_The heck?!' Naruto thought, feeling disturbed._

"_What are you doing?" Sasuke's monotonous voice made the blonde look up. "We're leaving."_

_Naruto nodded dumbly and the two of them left the house but not before he gave the kid a last flitting look. The boy, glaring at Sasuke this time, was having such a determined look in his eyes that he had to wonder what was in the boy's head._

_Five years later, Sasuke had taken the boy in to be a researcher and Naruto had yet to know why the boy's cheeks had turned red._

_Being Naruto, he would never recognize the subtle signs of someone falling in love._

…

She dropped to the floor, feeling her legs turn to jelly, as soon as Sasuke left her side to turn to their son. Reigi was being both angry and concerned at the same time as his eyes shifted from one parent to the other. There was apparent frustration in his face and finally the need to protect his mother came in first to the need of keeping his clothes clean of 'Oyaji-teme germs'.

The wood and glass cracked under his feet when Reigi stepped on them to get to his mother's side.

"Are you okay, Naru-kaa-san?" he asked, peering worriedly into sky blue eyes. "What happened to your chin? It's bleeding."

"It's nothing," the blonde replied, wiping the blood. Some of it had soaked in the collar of her shirt. She looked at the palm of her hand. The blood glistened brightly in the sunlight and made it look rather hot. Reigi bit his lips anxiously and turned to glare at the silent older man before his eyes roamed around the room to survey the damage that had been done.

The moment the young sharingan left his own, Sasuke moved in a flash of chakra to stand before his son and grab a handful of the dark locks. Reigi, stunned, hissed in pain and was about to counter before he was thrown to the side, crashing into the bathroom door. It banged open under the force and the door knob fell apart. Naruto was about to crawl worriedly over to Reigi but was held back by a hand around her neck. She gasped as she was brought to stand against the wall with the strong hands still clamped threateningly on her neck, fingers pressing onto her trachea. Slight pressure was placed and Naruto felt her air circulation shortened.

'He's going to kill me,' a small voice said fearfully in her head. It made tears prickle her eyes as she clawed and tugged on the arm. She had begun coughing when Sasuke added more pressure on her windpipe. "W – Why?"

She was answered with a silent glare from the head of the Uchiha before Sasuke vanished from her sight. Two thuds of a kunai embedding the wall registered in her brain as she fell to the floor, coughing wildly for air.

"If you want to fight, let's take it outside!" Reigi shouted, running to stand protectively over his mother. "I won't allow you to harm Naru-kaa-san anymore!"

"Let's," was the only word Sasuke said before he disappeared from their eyesight. Naruto gulped hungrily for the air, thanking whatever god she ever believed for creating oxygen. In a swirl of wind, Reigi was gone as well.

"Rei…"

With a heave, she pushed herself from the floor and dashed out of the room.

…

Naruto stared silently at the bed across from hers. Reigi was breathing peacefully and his face had returned to their normal tan instead of the pallid grey that he had come in with.

"How are you feeling, Naruto?" asked Kabuto, stepping into the room and walking over to her bed. She gave him a small smile but it disappeared when she turned her head to watch her son. The older man followed her gaze and gave a small sigh. "I don't think he'll be up in a day or two. I've already reported to Sasuke-sama about his condition."

Naruto turned away from the sleeping face and brought her hand over her bandaged eye. Her left eyeball felt hot like something was burning from within but she kept the pain to herself. Reigi's injuries were far fatal than the small cut on her eyelid.

If only she hadn't been stupid enough to interfere with the fight.

"He'll be okay, for sure," Kabuto reassured her, pulling the hand on the eye and gripping it with assurance. Naruto didn't turn to him and kept her gripped hand lax. There was nothing she wanted to and could say. Her vocal cord had been affected by the blast. "Don't blame yourself over this. No one knew your Rasengan would do such a powerful chakra rebound."

Her right hand, thoroughly bandaged by Kabuto, twitched at the mention and her fists clenched tightly. Water brimmed in her sky blue eyes and her mouth opened but no sob escaped. The man standing before her patted the hand in his grip before taking a seat on the bed. She turned her face away and felt two hot trails of tears falling to the side of her face.

Kabuto turned to stare at the younger man whose condition was much worse than his mother's. Reigi had received shallow cuts all over the left side of his body, a broken left arm, a large gash on his forehead and dislocated his knee. What worried, and shocked, him was the burnt marks on his chest. So far, his body had stopped bleeding and everything was stable. The young man's vocal chord's had also been affected although there was no physical harm done on it.

"I'll get dinner," Kabuto finally said after a while. He gave the hand one last squeeze before disappearing out the door.

The blonde pulled her hands to her chest and held the hand in her bandaged one. It still felt warm and she brought it to rest on her forehead.

In the dim-lighted room, she mouthed a silent apology in the still air hoping her son could listen.

…

_Blood was spilling from a cut on his forehead and he was panting softly, his left hand felt numb from being grazed by his father's Chidori. There was no way he could do the jutsu now._

_A figure running in the distance caught his attention and he swore loudly, pushing against the branch he was on to land in front of the figure._

"_Naru-kaa-san, what are you doing here?" he hurriedly asked, turning around to stand protectively over the woman. "It's too dangerous! Get out of here!"_

"_There's something weird about Sasuke today! I'm worried about you!" Naruto frantically answered back._

_A swoosh sound came from their right and Reigi pulled out a kunai to block the pair of shurikens from harming his mother. The clang that sounded from the impact of metal and metal clouded another swoosh of a pair of kunai coming from their left but Reigi was prepared by it as he threw out his chakra-filled wire to catch the kunai._

"_You have to go back, Naru-kaa-san," Reigi hurriedly said, throwing a few shuriken to his father. "I can't protect the both of us at this rate. Oyaji-teme is using his strength to the fullest."_

"_I know," Naruto cut in before her son could say more. She grabbed a kunai from Reigi's holster and threw it to a pair of approaching shurikens. "That's why I can't let you fight alone."_

---

Dark blue eyes were revealed from tan eyelids as the young Uchiha was roused from his sleep. A shadowed high ceiling was the first thing he focused on and soft whispers were the first things he heard as he woke up.

He turned his head slightly to the right and let his midnight blue eyes focus on the pair sitting on the bed beside him. One of the two figures was whispering softly into the others ears. Once he finally gathered enough sense to recognize who it was, he opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Reigi-sama?" a man's voice said from across the room. The both of them made their way to his bed immediately. He tried to sit up but almost instantly fell back again. It wasn't until help from the young doctor that he could sit up straight.

He tried to speak again but nothing came out of his mouth except for air. His hand instantly went to his throat.

"You won't be able to speak for the moment, Reigi-sama," Kabuto said with a sympathetic face. Reigi glared but didn't do anything as he waited for an explanation. "Naruto can't talk too. It's because of the rebound from the rasengan."

The blonde ran to her bed and picked up a notebook and pen before returning to her son's side. She hastily scribbled something onto a blank page and handed it to the curious man.

_**How are you feeling now?**_

Reigi stared for a while at the scribbled writing and tried not to laugh at how much hiragana his mother used before reaching out for the pen. Naruto handed the object without further delay and Reigi scribbled his answer:

_I'm still trying to catch up on my senses but I'm feeling okay. Tell me, what happened?_

Kabuto peered over the lean shoulder to read Reigi's respond. After sharing a brief glance, that made Reigi flare with jealousy, Kabuto turned to his desk and pulled a piece of paper that made the stack above it scatter to the floor. Hurriedly, he handed the paper to Naruto and returned to re-stack the papers. The blonde gave a sigh at the doctor's clumsiness but she handed the paper to Reigi.

From the two types of handwriting, Reigi could decipher that it was a kind of dialogue between two people.

_**My Rasengan didn't work. Why?**_

_It was probably because you haven't used the jutsu for such a long time._

_**But I have complete chakra control.**_

_Maybe it's the Soul Switching jutsu that has made the body unbearable to withstand that amount of chakra. You must remember that your Rasengan has levelled up from the incomplete rasengan that Jiraiya taught._

_**What's wrong with that jutsu?**_

_It's not the jutsu that is wrong. It's the wielder._

_**Me?**_

_Probably. Your primary element might no longer be wind._

_**How?**_

_Remember, the Soul Switching Jutsu changes everything physical. Chakra and elements come from the body so even if you are mentally a wind element, it won't work if your body is not of wind element. Do you understand?_

_**No.**_

Reigi looked up to see Naruto turned to Kabuto and laughing mutely at the doctor's ineptness with the papers. He touched the blonde's arm making Naruto immediately turn to him. Taking the pen, he circled on the word 'Soul Switching Jutsu' and placed a question mark above it. Naruto at first stared dumbly at the word before realization dawned on her and she grew flustered, snatching the paper from Reigi and crumpling it into a ball before throwing it at the black-haired man.

Kabuto looked up at the blonde from the floor, where he was still picking up papers, and blinked at the furious face. He still didn't decipher the fault he had done until Naruto pointed to the paper and mouthed 'read it'. His eyes averted to the paper in question and, gingerly, he picked it up. The crumpled paper was smoothed out on the floor, Kabuto was by now sitting cross-legged, and ebony eyes scanned its contents. The young Uchiha could see his face gloom with impending doom as soon as the man read the top line.

"Oh shit," he muttered, slowly turning his head to the fuming blonde. Sweat formed on his forehead and his eyes begged to be forgiven as Naruto stood from the bed and towered over his sitting form. "I swear to you, I didn't do this on purpose. The papers all look the same!"

Reigi had to second this fact as he stared at the papers littering the floor. They were all conversations between Kabuto and his mother. But he had to wonder; why would Kabuto write down answers if he was vocally capable?

By the time he had inspected the entirety of the mess done by the scattered papers, Naruto had side-stepped the doctor to search for the real paper that was intended for her son to read. Kabuto, on the other hand, resumed picking up the mess he had done. With a whack on the black-haired man's head, the blonde walked over to Reigi and handed the paper.

Reigi stared at his mother for a bit before reading the conversation.

_**I tried to use my Rasengan today. At the training ground.**_

_**How could I not? The expression on Sasuke's face was scary when he left my room with Rei.**_

_**Don't speak! You'll wake Rei up!**_

_What happened after they left?_

_**I ran to the training ground. Sasuke tried to hurt me! That bastard!**_

_**Rei protected me but I got pissed when he told me to go back. I'm a shinobi for god's sake! You can't tell a shinobi to walk away from a battle!**_

_**What do you mean 'not my battle'! Sasuke is trying to kill my son and you're telling me it's not my battle?! Don't make me bite your head off!**_

_**And I told you not to speak.**_ The word 'stupid' was written, largely, in katakana next to this line.

_When did you use the Rasengan?_

_**It wasn't until 10 minutes after I got there that Sasuke backed Rei into a dead-end.**_

_There's a dead-end in the forest?_

_**No. But he was stuck somehow. You can ask him when he wakes up.**_

_**I tried to use my Rasengan there because Sasuke was going to use Chidori on Rei. Something went wrong when I tried to compress air with my chakra.**_

_**It exploded after that.**_

The conversation ended there and Reigi turned the paper over but found that nothing was written on the other side. He looked up at his, still, fuming mother, who was now glaring at a guilty looking Kabuto with her hands on her hips, and touched her arm to get her attention. She turned to him, the glare immediately turning into concern, and sat on the bed, pulling the notebook and pen. Her son watched, with amusement and curiosity, as she hastily scribbled a long note on a blank page.

When finally, after what felt like five minutes, the notebook was handed to him and Naruto massaged her aching right hand, which was turning numb from rushing in her writing.

_**I'm sorry I got you into this mess. I didn't know it would lead to this. Don't worry though. Kabuto said our vocal chords won't remain this way for long. If it does over fifteen days, remind me to cause mental and bodily harm on him.**_ (Reigi just _had_ to snicker at this part) _**But I want to tell you something important. I meant to tell you before but things happened and I forgot.**_ _**The other day, Kabuto spilled the beans on Sasuke's plans. Sasuke actually wanted me dead. He wanted it to seem like a natural death so he had been feeding me drugs and calling them medicine.**_ ('I knew it,' Reigi thought triumphantly) _**But now that he has a use of me, I'm being granted my health back. That is why, now is my greatest chance to escape.**_

Reigi glanced at his fidgeting mother before continuing to read.

_**If I don't now, I won't be able to later. The only thing waiting me here after this baby is born is death. I don't want that. There are limits to my love for him.**_ (Reigi frowned at this) _**I can put up with his coldness towards me but this is different. I am not giving up my life for someone who doesn't appreciate me. In other words, it's time I escape.**_

_**What I want to know now is your choice. Follow me or stay behind. I don't mind either choice. I don't want you thinking you are obliged to follow me and leave this place. This place is where you grew up and you have many memories here that are hard to part with. I can understand because I feel the same for Konoha. Time is running out. So, I can only give you two days to think this through. Just know that Kabuto is escaping with me**_ (Reigi made his decision at this sentence) _**so you don't have to worry so much about my safety. I ask again: Follow me or stay behind?**_

Taking the pen, which was left on the bed, Reigi scribbled furiously under the note and thrust it to his mother. Naruto, almost fearfully, took the notebook from Reigi and stared at the answer. 'Damn Rei and his use of Kanji,' she bitterly said to herself, trying to make out the largely written scribbles.

_I'll follow you. There's no need for me to think it through. If that perverted doctor is going_ (Naruto made a mental note to have Reigi stop calling Kabuto a pervert once she regained her voice) _so am I. He can't even throw a shuriken right! What makes you think I won't be worried about this? Besides, I can't live without you._

Her face turned bright red at the last sentence and she felt too embarrassed to look Reigi in the eye. Naruto stood up from the bed, with the pen in her hand, and crouched in front of Kabuto, who was still sitting on the floor with a neat stack of papers next to him. Instantly, jealousy flared inside the young man but he bit his lips and crossed his uninjured leg.

"Pervert?" he heard the doctor murmur sorrowfully. A few seconds later, Naruto turned over a new page on the notebook and wrote something on it. The reaction that it caused made him wonder what his mother had written. "I'm not allowing anything like that! It is harmful for the baby's health! There's a possibility that you might suffer miscarriage for the second time! Do you want that?!"

A second later, a pillow went flying onto the doctor's head. The pair sitting on the floor looked up at Reigi in confusion to which he replied with a mouthed 'don't yell'.

"Sorry," apologized the twenty-six-year-old, rubbing the back of his head. "But anyway, Naruto, I can't let you take the pill. I can't even let you fight in your current state anyway. It's really better to just let Rei protect you."

Reigi twitched when his name was called so familiarly by the doctor. How he wanted to wring the pale neck until the bones break. Naruto seemed unfazed by this, surprisingly to him, and he figured that she was used to this familiar name calling by the man. She was currently writing something on the notebook and, this made Reigi's blood boil, Kabuto was leaning close to read as she wrote.

"Me? I'll be fine," Kabuto answered with a soft smile on his lips. "I have other ways of fighting. Remember, I have excellent chakra control and I'm a doctor. I know where to strike that can bring my opponent down even if I can't throw a shuriken right."

Reigi glanced away, almost seeming sheepish, when Kabuto turned to glare at him. Naruto, however, didn't seem satisfied with his answer as she continued to write furiously in the notebook. The younger man, finally getting tired of seeing them sitting comfortably close together, stood from the bed, leaning more on his uninjured leg, and flopped next to his mother. Naruto turned when she felt movement but resumed her writing soon after.

_**What if the enemies outnumber us? I'll just be a burden. If I can fight, let me.**_

"What if they managed to hit you? I can't guarantee the baby's safety. You have to realize, Naruto, that you are different than any other pregnant women out there." This was said very seriously and Naruto pressed her lips together and her brows furrowed in annoyance. "If not for that jutsu, I wouldn't have thought twice about letting you pitch in when we are under attack. Do you understand the severity of this matter?"

Solemnly, the blonde nodded, looking not unlike a child who had been caught stealing the cookies.

Reigi kept to himself, not that he could interfere anyway since he couldn't speak, but felt a sense of growing respect for the older man.

…

Naruto sang a little folklore song, liking how her voice sounded in the moonlit hallway. She definitely missed speaking and felt very thankful that her voice had returned back that evening. How could it be such a coincidence that she was able to be vocal on the night of their escape? Maybe the gods were finally giving her the boost of luck she needed after deceiving her from her needs over the past years. Whatever it was, she had managed to gain more confidence in breaking away from Sasuke's cage of stone and bronze.

"Um…" a voice from behind her made her turn around. Kabuto was shifting his gaze from his shoe towards the woman and back to his shoes. "It's not that I don't like your singing, Naruto, I really do, but I think what's best for now is to remain silent until we're finally a safe distance away."

Naruto apologized and gave the young doctor a dazzling smile while Reigi grumpily trudged forward, handing his mother a cloak on the way. All three of them were clad in dark clothing to better their way in sneaking out. They had trouble at first in hiding the bright blonde hair of Naruto's but Reigi suggested that she should wear a dark cloak over her clothes. This prompted Naruto to suggest they all wore such a cloak to enhance the stealth.

Two days had passed since Reigi woke to find that he was temporarily voiceless and many things had happened in those two days. One of them, the most important event, was the departure of Sasuke to the snow country for, oddly, diplomatic reasons. Reigi mulled over this news for over an hour, wondering why he hadn't been told a week prior about such an event since, as heir of the Uchiha, he was always made to tag along if his father had business outside. It was understandable that with his state of health, loss of voice along with injured limbs, there was no way he could be of any help but he had to wander why he wasn't told about any 'fucked up diplomatic shit of an event', as he liked to call it. His mother assured him, through a conversation on a blank paper, that it was not something he should ponder hours upon as it just seemed their luck. It wasn't that Reigi was much of an atheist, since he never got much time to think about religion and there was no one preaching him about it, but luck never seemed to mix well with his genius of a father.

The second thing that happened was the discovery of a secret underground passage that led about three miles north, ending somewhere close to a lake. This discovery was yet to be proven since none had ever been through it. Their source, in the form of Reigi's childhood friend, Shoudo, was willing to show them the way since he had been through it countless of times. When this news was passed to Naruto from Kabuto, the blonde had been sceptical about using the man's assistance because their escape might be leaked to Sasuke. It wasn't that she had no trust for Shoudo but it was more because most of Sasuke's underlings, although unwilling, were bindingly loyal to the man. Kabuto frowned at this but left the statement un-judged.

Reigi, a second later, told them that if her judgement concerning his loyalty was true, then there was a big problem they would be facing as Shoudo had already known they were planning an escape. This prompted Kabuto to run out the room, like hell was loose, searching for Shoudo and dragging him to their room.

Shoudo had huffed and lectured angrily about Naruto's trust in him and that he would never have the heart to betray them. This was followed by surprising news as the twenty-two-year-old revealed that he had, since the beginning of that year, known that Sasuke was trying to kill the blonde. This earned him a punch on his face, courtesy of Reigi, and a whack on the head, courtesy of Naruto. Kabuto managed to pry the two from the librarian and explained that all researchers knew about the slow killing drug. It was just that no one had the power to do anything about it so they kept it a secret. Shoudo hurriedly told them, after Kabuto's explanation, that he was very delighted and relieved to know that Naruto was whole in health again and was about to escape from the elder Uchiha. After a private meeting between mother and son, through written conversation, they finally agreed to accept Shoudo's assistance.

Other than the two crucial developments, they had also found out less-than-important things such as the fact that Kabuto hadn't stepped out of the mansion ever since he first entered. The man in question just laughed and rubbed the back of his head as Naruto counted the years on her hand. The discovery, although rather unimportant, made the blonde fuss, silently though as she had yet to recover her voice at that time, when she finished doing the calculation. Reigi just gapped when his mother told him that the young doctor hadn't been out for over 14 years. The pity in their eyes made Kabuto retreat to his bed feeling discouraged.

Back in the present, the three of them were making their way to the entrance of the underground tunnel. Naruto ran up to Reigi's side and took hold of his left hand the moment darkness enveloped their bodies, making it hard to decipher shadow with solid.

"It's really dark, isn't it?" Kabuto asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Naruto was about to answer when she felt Reigi's other hand taking hold of hers and the left hand, that she had previously grabbed, snake around her shoulders to pull her closer to him. She could feel heat on her cheeks despite the cold and the reply died in her throat as she concentrated on her footing.

It was barely three seconds later that they spotted a lit torch ahead of them. Kabuto pulled it out of its socket and they continued their journey deeper. Naruto had to wonder why the place wasn't filled with a hallway of torches if it was going to be as pitch black as it was then. The mystery left her mind when they finally reached a wide spiral staircase leading undergrounds. Torches were lined on the left side of the staircase, making Naruto sigh with relief.

"Shoudo is going to be down there, right?" the blonde asked the young doctor as she detached herself from her son, completely missing the look on Reigi's face. She chewed on the bottom of her lips before looking at the doctor. Kabuto was currently wrapped in trying to read something written on a nearby wall that he had missed the question. Naruto, annoyed as she was, approached the crouching man. "What is it, Kabuto?"

"This," he answered hesitantly, bringing the torch near to the word. In a sickly black liquid, the kanji for 'wind' was written sloppily in the middle of four other words. "This is…"

"It says wind with north, east, south and west written around it, right?" asked Naruto, pulling the hood off of her head.

Kabuto, distracted by Naruto's action, managed to make the words catch fire. He let out a startled yelp when the fire caught his sleeve and practically threw the torch to the ground, making the fire die out. Naruto was torn between two scenes, the words on fire and Kabuto trying to put out the fire on his sleeve.

"It's burning all the other words," she managed to say before the sounds of footsteps running up the spiral staircase met them. Reigi immediately stood protectively over his mother with a katana drawn out. They all visibly relaxed when Shoudo appeared but tensed right back at the expression on his face when he turned to them.

"What happened?!" Shoudo asked urgently. Sweat was pouring down his forehead and he was clutching the left side of his torso as if he was wounded. "Was it you who burned the Calling Mark?"

"Calling Mark? Wha–?" Naruto asked.

"That was the Calling Mark?!" Kabuto interrupted, swiftly standing up and pulling Naruto hurriedly down the flight of stairs, Reigi just barely tagging with them. "I'm sorry! I didn't know!"

"Kabuto, what was that? Why are we in a hurry?" the blonde asked, just about managing to secure her hood back up as they practically flew down. Shoudo was leading them, taking 4 steps at a time.

"That was a Calling Mark I just burned," Kabuto explained, panting heavily. "The mark is placed at several places to make possible the work of getting back-ups. If the mark is physically changed, even with a small scrape, it would send alert to the Calling Mark bearers, like Shoudo-san."

"You guys are such a pain!" Shoudo said irritably. "We feel what is done to those marks even if we don't physically go through it! If the others found out people like you were the one responsible for this, we're all doomed for. Only those with the Calling Mark know about this passage underground!"

Naruto was at a loss of words as she continued to let herself get dragged by the flustered doctor. The spiral staircase carried them about two feet beneath the mansion. When they finally reached the last step, Shoudo shoved them into a shadowed part of the cave-like passage and placed a finger over his mouth to silence them.

"Wait here till I come," he whispered urgently before disappearing up the stairs.

Naruto, who managed to land herself in Kabuto's arms, fidgeted uncomfortably when her hood started to fall. The doctor's arms around her, which prevented her from reaching up, loosened until both hands were only holding her shoulder. Before she could fix the uncomfortable thing on her head, another pair of hands landed on her hips, making her jolt with surprise. She turned slightly to see Reigi's serious face and relaxed considerably, her head resting unconsciously on the young doctor's chest.

Kabuto was feeling really flustered by the proximity between him and Naruto that he had managed to land himself into. His heart, which was already beating hard from the run, felt like it was about to break through his ribs and he was fairly certain Naruto could feel it as well. He hoped that the shadow that they hid in would also hide his blazing face.

Uncertain of what to do, the young doctor's eyes travelled around the place and finally fell on the young Uchiha's face; more precisely, his eyes. He took a large gulp of air at the murderous look that was completed with spinning sharingans. He vowed after that to never look Reigi in the eye when the boy's mother was in his arms again.

"Man, Kabuto, you must be scared as hell," commented Naruto, shifting her head so that her right ear was pressed to his chest. "Your heart is beating so fast."

The reply to this statement was on the tip of his tongue and had he not looked down, he would've been able to reply coherently. As was so, Kabuto managed to see a pale shoulder peeking from a disoriented robe. The urge to do something about this ate in him but he didn't know what. Without thinking much, he lowered his head, letting the tips of his ebony hair brush lightly at the bare skin. Naruto flinched and looked up, almost hitting the doctor's nose had Kabuto not tilt to the left slightly.

"That tickles," Naruto whispered; her brows furrowing as she pulled the cloak securely.

Footsteps could be heard rushing down the stairs and they all tensed when another pair of footsteps followed the other one. Reigi's hand immediately flew to his katana while Kabuto stepped in front of Naruto.

"Naruko-san," Shoudo whispered urgently as soon as he reached the last step. "Come out. It's safe now but we have to hurry."

The second person stood silently behind Shoudo and inspected the dark caves.

"Who is with you, Shoudo-san?" Kabuto asked with a serious tone and his expression grim. The person in question looked straight to the blonde, who had pulled up her hood and lowered her face. Something churned in the young doctor's stomach when the man turned away, making the firelight behind him catch the side of his face. "Ritsuko?"

Naruto and Reigi looked at each other before glancing at Kabuto and the person named Ritsuko. Shoudo had a very apologetic face but kept his lips pursed.

"Where do you think you're running off to, aniki?" Ritsuko finally spoke, shocking the mother and son at how young his voice sounded compared to how he looked, as he glared at Naruto.

"You have a brother?" the question tumbled out of Naruto's mouth before she could stop it. Kabuto, his face flushed and his eyes definitely avoiding Naruto, could only fidget as all the stares turned to him.

"Ritsuko is my lab assistant. He just likes to call me 'aniki', that's all," Kabuto answered in a small voice. As the awkwardness began to increase between them, Kabuto glared at the boy and asked in an accusing tone, "What are you doing here? Why did you bring Ritsuko here, Shoudo-san?"

"I have the Calling Mark," Ritsuko replied, as if the answer explained everything. Shoudo had a very uncomfortable expression and it further gloomed at the prospects of him explaining the situation as three pairs of eyes landed on him.

"Let's walk and talk," he finally said, pulling out a torch from the socket nearest to him and marched ahead of the group. Naruto caught up with the librarian a few seconds after with Reigi tagging close behind while Kabuto and his assistant made the rear.

"So what's up?" Naruto asked, pulling her hood back slightly so that he could see her face.

"The kid's been noticing me being buddy-buddy with Kabuto-sensei lately and overheard us talking about this passage yesterday," Shoudo said with a sigh. "The moment he felt the Calling Mark that was set off here, he knew Kabuto-sensei started it. I mean, it couldn't be a bearer because we know the pain it can inflict on us. But what really confirmed it was the fact that I came up the stairs after that."

"What's so weird about that?" asked Naruto, glancing at the boy who was speaking angrily at Kabuto.

"It's not my shift tonight," the young man answered hesitantly, looking around with disinterest. "And everyone on the team knows I hate patrolling around here. It's dead suspicious, that's for certain."

"You don't really do your work well, do you?" Naruto said with a smirk.

"Hey, patrolling is boring," Shoudo returned with a shrug. "I can't even read in this place."

"Right," the blonde replied, having nothing to comment about her son's childhood friend's preference. "Hey, how old is that kid anyway?"

"Ritsuko? Let me see…" Shoudo took a moment to think before he answered, "About 14, if I'm not mistaken."

"That's pretty young for an assistant," Naruto said, turning to look at the boy. Reigi, who moved forward to walk next to his mother, also turned to watch the boy. Ritsuko, noticing his audience, glared at them instantly, focusing more on the shorter of the two. This prompted Naruto to turn back and Reigi to return the glare with his own Uchiha death glare. "Can the kid fight?"

"Well, he wouldn't have the Calling Mark if he couldn't but the kid's still pretty weak," Shoudo explained offhandedly, as if the subject itself wasn't behind him sending mental death threats. "He's still in beginners' level among us but he has a bloodline limit. That's his main score."

"Can we trust him not to tell Sasuke?" Naruto asked in a low voice, casting a glance at the boy.

"Of course not."

Naruto almost tripped at the respond had Reigi not caught her. Whipping her head to the man, her hood falling back to finally reveal her face to Ritsuko, Naruto pulled at Shoudo's collar, dragging him to her level of eye.

"Then why'd you bring him?!" the shout echoed loudly in the wide passage and didn't die out for nearly a minute making the party stand to a halt. Naruto clamped a hand over her mouth before glaring at the librarian.

"Don't worry so much," the man said with a shrug before pointing a thumb at Kabuto. "You'll be bringing a hostage. If Ritsuko doesn't want Kabuto-sensei dead, then he won't breathe a word to anyone. Right, Ritsu-chan?"

"Well…um," Ritsuko was fidgeting uncomfortably with furrowed brows. He seemed torn between choices and Naruto grew more anxious as time flew by. "Even if I didn't tell anyone, your disappearance will arouse suspicion enough that it will inadvertently reach Sasuke-sama's ears."

"Don't be such a dolt, Ritsu-chan," Shoudo cut in, stepping towards the boy and ruffling his sandy hair. "We all realize that but as long as they are a distance away from here, it'll be okay. But we can't have someone leak out that they used this passage to leave, get it?"

Ritsuko nodded seriously but still had a doubtful air around him and they continued their track through the passage. Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably and kept trying to catch the oblivious Reigi's eye. Kabuto tried not to even look anywhere near his assistant who was, thankfully, keeping to himself. The walk wasn't as long as they expected but the road became more uneven as time passed by and none of them had spoken anything anymore. After what felt like an hour, which was actually just about twenty minutes, they reached a wide flight of stairs that led up and Shoudo told them to wait in the shadows while he and Ritsuko went up to check.

"Is he really that scary, Kabuto?" Naruto asked suddenly, making the two men turn to her. They weren't standing as cramped as before so the young doctor didn't really feel as flustered but the question took him by surprise.

"You mean Ritsuko?" Kabuto turned to see the blonde. Naruto had left her hood down when it fell earlier and a few strands had escaped the collar. She nodded twice, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Um…well, I wouldn't really say scary but I wouldn't deny it either. He's just still naïve, I guess."

"You seemed pretty scared of him," she pressed on, turning to the stairs.

"No, it's really not like that," Kabuto hurriedly said, defending his ego. "Ritsuko was lonely when he first came here, you see. It was when he was nine and he had just witnessed the death of half of his clan including his family. Even though I wasn't there to see the entirety of the incident, I could tell it was gruesome from the autopsy I did on some of the people who died there.

"He told me he came here by freewill to train and become a shinobi and it was because he had a knack for chemistry that they sent him to me. He just grew on me, I guess. Not long after, he asked if he could call me 'aniki' because I reminded him of his late brother," Kabuto paused long enough to give out a small laugh as a memory flooded in his mind. "I don't know if I should mind the fact that his brother and I resembled mostly on our clumsiness. He looked excited, in his own way though, so I agreed."

Naruto nodded her head slowly but kept her lips pursed. Reigi, who didn't have and couldn't say anything, looked at his silent mother as Kabuto, oblivious, continued his story.

"There was a time around two years ago that the Calling Mark bearers was sent out to eradicate a small village. Something had happened there that sent Ritsuko home shaking. He wouldn't tell me but asked for a favour from me. He asked that I never betray him. I've never seen him cry since he came, even when he was bullied because of his voice, but that day, he cried so much that I had to calm him forcefully."

Naruto gave the doctor a suspicious look that Kabuto immediately caught.

"I – I meant that I used a genjutsu on him!" the man grew flustered, making Reigi snicker silently at how easy it was to rile the doctor up. "A – Anyway, I checked his memory after that and I found out that they had to wipe out an entire clan. It wasn't the task that freaked him, it was the victim. You see, one of the spies was a brother to a pair of twins. His family was one of the lasts that were killed and, in front of his own family, he slit the throat of the older twin."

Reigi could see, even in the darkness, how his mother's shoulder tensed and the pale hands balled into shaking fists. A ninja's life wasn't a fairytale; he knew that, and someone as tender as his mother wouldn't be able to face such situations.

"Ritsuko saw them beg to be spared but the man just kept killing. The scene had reminded him of the time his father tried to sell him to the missing-nin who slaughtered his clan. Had it not been for his brother, he wouldn't have managed to hide in time. The feeling of being betrayed by his own father must've been the deepest wound. So that's why he asked that I never betray him."

Kabuto ended the story with a low and guilty voice.

"That's why I feel like I'm betraying him," he said, his voice full of unreadable emotions. "It's not that I'm scared of him. I just feel guilty that I'm leaving him without telling him."

Naruto was silent and her face was turned to the ground. Reigi could tell that his mother felt a little morose from the story, so he pushed away from the wall and hugged his mother from behind, resting his chin on her blonde hair. She flinched a little but relaxed in her son's embrace. Kabuto watched silently at the two before looking away.

"I'm really selfish, aren't I?" Naruto suddenly said, making Kabuto turn back to her. Something churned in his stomach when he realized, from the sound of her voice, that she was crying. "I just bluntly asked for your help without thinking much. I should've thought to ask you if you were willing to go. This should've been my own problem and I should've thought to solve it by myself."

Kabuto tried to protest but Naruto immediately cut in, crying harder.

"But because I'm weak, all I can do is to depend on others. You and Reigi shouldn't be bothered with me. I'm such an idiot! If not for me, you wouldn't have to feel so guilty about leaving here! You wouldn't even need to feel guilty."

"Naruto, it's not like that at all," Kabuto tried to reason, a troubled look crossing his face. "I would go even if you asked. I wouldn't be able to sit right if I let you go alone, so it's okay for me. Please stop crying."

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Shoudo's nonchalant voice made them look up. An eyebrow rose at Naruto's state of emotions. "You can come up now. It's clear."

Reigi released his sobbing mother but kept an arm curled around her shoulders as they climbed the mossy stone steps. Kabuto followed closely behind, his mouth kept pursed. The other two shared a brief glance before the younger of the two turned around to lead the group.

Shoudo kept himself from asking as they proceeded forward in silence. After sometime, the road got separated into two and they took the right one. The night seemed almost too peaceful and Reigi tried not to grow paranoid as they took another flight of stairs down. The air began to chill and the stones were no longer the same as the ones from the entrance of the passage. Finally, they reached a passage and Shoudo turned to them, with a large smile on his face.

"Well, freedom is just past this passage," the librarian said, mostly directing his gaze to Naruto. "You'll find a small village nearby for lodging. If you head east, you'll get to Konoha."

"Thank you for everything, Shoudo," Naruto said, a small smile on her face. Reigi bowed his head slightly and Kabuto also offered his thanks with a bow.

"I hope we'll get to meet again in the future under safe circumstances," Shoudo said. The blonde's heart clenched at the meaning behind the word and she had to look away. There was a high possibility that after this, they were enemies. "It was fun getting to know you both."

A strong hand was extended and Naruto stared into Shoudo's misty grey eyes before she took the hand and shook it twice. Reigi was next and before he let go, the younger man was pulled to an embrace and given two hard thumps on the back.

"Take good care of Naruko-san, you understand?" Reigi nodded seriously. His childhood friend smiled and ruffled the dark blue hair. Annoyed, the young Uchiha swatted at the hand with a disgruntled frown. "You should get going now."

"Ok, I guess we should get going," Naruto said in a small voice. The burden of finally leaving everything hit her. After they step out of the passage, she would never be able to see the view from the veranda in her room and would never be able to walk through the wide hallways of the mansion again. Her stomach clenched tightly at the thought of never seeing the faces of the workers in the mansion or the sceneries that surrounded the large estate but she strongly held back her tears. This was her decision, dammit!

"This is _sayonara_, Naruko-san," Shoudo told her, looking sideways to a silent Ritsuko. The blonde, trying not to watch the librarian anymore for fear that she would crumble, kept her fist balled as she turned to Kabuto.

"Will you come?" she asked, catching him off guard.

"Of course, Naruto," he answered and stepped forward. Naruto was the first to walk into the passage, followed by Reigi and Kabuto. Shoudo didn't bother to watch till the end, so he turned away and began making his way back. Ritsuko, however, was rooted to the spot, just watching the doctor's back.

"Sayonara, aniki!" he finally shouted, making all three turn to the fourteen-year-old. Kabuto gave him a smile and a wave of hand before they continued.

…

The passage ended at a dead end with a ladder leading up. True to what Shoudo had said, the passage ended near a lake and they could barely make out the light coming from the village. It wasn't such a long walk from the long passage and the chill of the night air felt nice against their skin. Without wasting anytime admiring the dark landscapes, they trudged the dirt road leading to the village. The first person they met was an elderly man who was picking up firewood and stacking it in a small alcove in the wall of his house.

"Excuse me," Kabuto said. The man straightened up and looked them over.

"Travellers at this time? Were you lost, young man?" asked the old man. He had such a loving voice that Naruto couldn't help but feel warm inside. "We don't really have many travellers come here and the inn just got burned a few days ago but I guess if you go to the mayor, he can rent you an empty house for the night."

"Um…thank you," Kabuto said uncertainly, trading glances with the blonde. "We're trying to get to Konoha come morning. Do you by any chance know the way?"

The old man seemed to think really hard before he grew urgent. "Heru-san is heading there at the moment. You might still be able to catch him if you hurry now! It's just on the other side of the village! Hurry!"

Naruto didn't have time to wonder before she was pulled by Reigi. The village was really small, as Shoudo had mentioned, so they managed to reach the said carriage before it took off.

"Are you Heru-san, the one heading for Konoha?" Kabuto asked the man stirring the carriage, a plump man wearing half-moon glasses.

"Why yes, that's me! Is there something I can help you with?" there was surprise in the man's voice but he sounded polite enough to be a candidate of free transport.

"Can we join you? We're also trying to find our way to Konoha but we're unfamiliar of the road here," Kabuto said breathlessly. The man looked doubtful at first about bringing strangers but gave one look at Naruto and agreed. Reigi immediately grew suspicious but, nevertheless, climbed onto the back with his mother while Kabuto sat with the man in the front. "Thank you, sir but, if you don't mind my curiosity, why are you heading there in the middle of the night?"

"In the middle of the night?" the man gave a hearty laugh. "You must have lost your watch, traveller, because it's nearing dawn! I need to arrive there before nightfall and it's quite a way from here."

Naruto scanned the skies and, true to the man's words, saw that it had begun to be coloured purple. She barely registered Kabuto introducing them to the man as her eyes were practically glued to the enchanting panorama of the lake and clusters of village around it.

"My name is Kabuto and they are Reigi-san and Naruko-san," said Kabuto, gesturing to the two. Naruto snapped at the mention of her other name. "We appreciate you letting us ride with you to Konoha."

"I'm Heru. Heru of the Little Pasture, it's nice to meet you," the man said with another hearty laugh, his round cheeks were pink from the cold.

"It's a pleasure on our side to be acquainted with you as well," Kabuto returned, bowing slightly, somehow causing the man to give another jovial laugh.

"You really are polite, young man!" Heru said, smiling largely. Naruto felt slightly warm at this. Although completely different, this man reminded her of the cook, Shintouji and her heart wrenched painfully at the thought that she didn't get to say goodbye to the man. "No wonder you managed to score a point with that fine lady! Hahaha!"

Kabuto went from dumbfounded, realization and embarrassment in three seconds flat that made the plump man roar with laughter. Behind them, Reigi was fuming with anger at the implication, his hand already on his katana.

"It's not like that, Heru-san!" Kabuto immediately said with a flustered expression over the continuous roars of laughter. Thoughts of Shintouji and the kitchen in the mansion quickly left Naruto's mind when she felt the murderous aura around her son.

"I'm –!" Naruto interrupted loudly, catching all their attentions before giving the two a dazzling smile. "I'm actually with Rei – I – I mean, Reigi…san."

Kabuto stared at her for a while before turning to Heru, who looked a little shocked, and nodded his head.

"Yes, they are having their first child at the moment," stated Kabuto, settling more comfortably in his seat. Naruto nearly fell over at the statement. She had not been expecting Kabuto to mention about the baby at all. Had she known, she would have told the man that she was married to Reigi rather than just 'with' him.

"Oh, congratulations, little lady," Heru said, sounding a bit awkward before covering it with a loud bout of laughter. "Young people these days!"

She twitched at this proclamation and wondered if her woman form really appeared so young. People did mention that she didn't seem to be a day above thirty when she was in her male form but that was partially because she was small and weak-looking but now that her energy was returned to her, she should look _at least_ a little over thirty, right?

"Say, Heru-san," Kabuto began, trying to change the awkward topic. "What kind of business do you have at Konoha?"

…

The ride did seem long and the road shifted from smooth to bumpy to rough from time to time. Kabuto was nice enough to accompany the man while Reigi and Naruto slept in the back. When afternoon came, they stopped by a river to rest and ate lunch, which Heru had brought, before continuing on their way. Naruto volunteered to accompany Heru while Kabuto rested in the back. The blonde didn't have a hard time tolerating the plump man as she grew interested with the tales Heru told her.

It was late evening by the time they reached the periphery of a dense forest and Naruto could feel her heart pounding roughly in her ribcage. They were getting closer to Konoha.

"Hey," a small voice croaked from behind and Naruto turned sharply. Reigi had spoken!

"Your voice is back," she whispered the words with awe. Reigi gave her a smile.

"We're nearing there, aren't we?" asked the young man, his voice croaky from not being used. Naruto sent him a smile. Reigi really understood her and she felt warm in the stomach. She nodded before turning back in her seat to face the road in front of her.

"I'm back."

-----------------

A/N: I looked up the meaning of Oedipus Complex in wikipedia the other day. It's not really just a story, it's a mental disease. Young kids are more prone to having Oedipus Complex it seems but it goes away as they age, well at least to some. There's also a reverse Oedipus Complex, being the daughter would have an unconscious sexual desire for her father combined with hatred for her mother.

I found out there is many more kinds of Oedipus Complex. For instance, the son would desire the father or the daughter would desire the mother. I can't really remember the other ones but someone actually researched about the Oedipus Complex.


	9. Of Hello and Farewell

Disclaimer: I'm as unlucky as everyone

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, slight SasuNaru

A/N: First, I know it's just been a while. Second, I'm sorry it is shorter than usual, rushed and has a lot of mistakes. Third, read and review.

I have an important note at the end of the chapter. Please read.

Oedipus Complex

Feshnie

Chapter 9: Of Hello and Farewell

_Scattered remains of ramen were on the floor but the bowl had miraculously stayed in shape and was just rolling on the floor before ending upright again. The moonlight seeped through the open curtains and mixed with the dimly-lit room. The chair, which had fallen in time with the bowl, had been kicked and lay still by the wall._

_A palm was pressed around his fist and the indifferent face stared at him with cold red eyes. His own blue eyes were wide with anger before it fell close and his body turned slack. The punch that he had given was pulled back and his other hand reached around and pulled the man into his embrace._

"_You bastard," he said tiredly, his nose grazing the other man's earlobe as he pulled away._

"_Dobe."_

"_Shut up. I can't believe the first thing you say after disappearing for more than two years is an insult, you damn bastard!" He watched the face closely, marvelling at how built the man had grown to be, not that he wasn't burly himself. "Are you staying for good now?"_

"_I can't," was the man's answer and he could see the shoulders tense before a tan hand swiped at the table beside it with rage, throwing its contents to the floor._

"_Then why do you even bother coming back?!" he shouted, full of uncontrollable rage. They were no longer facing each other because he just couldn't face the man. "I would have been better off not seeing you anymore if you are going to be like this!"_

"_You would be better off being with me," was the man's reply and he turned back, surprised. "Come with me. I can give you more than the world can offer, Naruto."_

_A pale hand was held out to him and he looked at it with trepidation._

"_What?"_

_The hand was pulled back and he stared at the man's face. The red eyes had turned black and there was a small smile on the man's lips; so small that it was difficult to notice but he did. In a swift movement, the man stepped towards him and claimed his mouth in a deep but chaste kiss. He barely had time to register what had happened before the man pulled away. Their breaths mingled and a hand had somehow crept to his hips and held him there._

"_Myself," the man answered before crushing their lips again. He clung desperately on the man's back and tilted his head so that their kiss could deepen. Their chest met and, with strength just as passionate, a hand settled behind his head and pulled him deeper. Their tongues battled and he could feel a certain somewhere was growing. It felt like eternity before they pulled away but he couldn't look into those haunting dark eyes._

"_As if that's enough, you bastard," he muttered, turning away._

…

Naruto marvelled at how easily they passed through the gate but ever since she spotted someone wearing a leaf headband, her heart began to race. They asked to be dropped near the gate and thanked Heru profusely for letting them hitch a ride with him. Heru had given one of his hearty laughs and asked that Naruto show him the baby once the baby was born. She gave a small blush but, nevertheless, agreed as payment for the ride. With that, Heru was gone.

"I'm back," she whispered to herself again, as if the mere notion was hard to believe. "I'm back here."

"Yeah, you are," Reigi interrupted her, smiling at his mother's child-like happiness. Kabuto, who had been tense ever since they stepped in, gave out a relieved sigh as he stared up and down the road. "So, where do we go first?"

"Maybe we should walk around," suggested Kabuto, also smiling at Naruto's happiness. "I'm sure you want to look about, Naruto."

"Yes, please," the blonde replied, almost in a trance as she hungrily looked around the darkening village. "It's a little different but I think the road is still the same. Maybe my apartment is still around here. I wonder if they've sold it to someone else."

They walked through the nearly vacant stone road that greeted the entrance in silence, as if a mere sigh would disrupt the blonde from marvelling at how much had changed since she last been in Konoha. She began to talk animatedly when they reached the shop district of the village, pointing at shops and saying what used to be there or the time when she played a prank. Reigi and Kabuto passed each other looks at the blonde's mumbling before Naruto abruptly turned around and tugged at Reigi's arm, pulling him forward.

"That there!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the dark sculptures of the Hokages. "That's the mountain I mentioned to you about! I always go there to enjoy the view of the village. I'll bring you there if we have the chance!"

"That is fine with me, Naru-kaa-san," her son replied. Naruto glanced up at her son's face and felt a warm feeling crept within her. Finally, she could show the place she grew up in to him. "But it is getting late and we should find a place to lodge for the night, don't you think?"

"You're right. We should, Naruto," Kabuto agreed from behind them.

Naruto was about to reply when she spotted a familiar person with haunting white eyes emerge from a restaurant holding a small box. Something compelled her to approach the man and grab onto his haori. The man turned to her and her eyes widened in surprise. The man before her had grown into a fine adult and was giving her a bewildered look.

"Excuse me?" the man's voice sounded deeper than when she last heard it and her heart clenched painfully.

"Neji?" she said the name in a low tone as if she, herself, couldn't believe it was the same person she knew. "Are you Hyuuga Neji?"

"Yes…do I…know you?" the question was very hesitant. Neji felt as if he knew this person but couldn't put a finger as to who it was. He definitely never saw this person in his lifetime.

"Neji-white-eyes…" Naruto breathed out, a hollow laugh escaping her. The hand holding the haori shook as her vision was blurred by tears. She placed her other hand on her chest and spoke with a quivered voice. "It's me. I'm back. I'm finally back."

"N – Naruto?" Neji said incredulously, turning to fully face the blonde. The hand on his haori fell to her side and he reached out a pale hand to brush her cheeks, checking for the whisker marks. It was definitely there, if only a little obscure, and the intensity of her azure eyes were proof to her identity. "But you…look so different. You sound different."

"It's really me!" Naruto said excitedly, tears running down her cheeks. "I'm the person who beat you in the Chunnin exam and both our teams went to save Gaara, remember? You look different now! Wow, you've grown so tall!"

Neji was, put softly, speechless. In front of him was the person they all thought disappeared from the face of the earth for nearly 20 years ago. The person standing before him was the one who caused so much sadness and tears that it nearly seemed like they cried for his death rather than his disappearance. There were so many questions he wanted answered but he had difficulty choosing which one.

"Where have you been?" he finally resorted to ask, dropping the box he held to the ground and grabbing both of her shoulders. Her eyes widened and the tears stopped, it seemed that she had not been expecting the question.

"I've…" the blonde faltered in her excitement and looked to the ground. "I've been kept in secrecy by Sasuke."

"Sasuke? Where is he now?" Neji asked, unable to keep the worry from his voice. He tried not to feel so guilty when he noticed her shoulder grow tense.

"He left for snow country before I ran away," she answered truthfully but her voice was hesitant and she wiped her eyes with her sleeve. Neji released his hold on the blonde, making Naruto look up.

"Are you okay now?" he asked, searching her eyes.

"Yeah," Naruto nodded, her smile returning. They stared at each other for a while, taking in the changes in each other before Naruto felt a yawn suddenly coming. "Um…I don't really want to be forward but…do you know a place we can lodge for the night?"

"We?"

"Yo!" Reigi interrupted a little away from them both. Kabuto, on the other hand, greeted with a small bow.

"That's my son, Reigi," Naruto introduced, suddenly turning happy again, pointing at the nineteen-year-old before turning to the other. "And that's Kabuto. He's my personal doctor, I guess."

"Pleased to meet you," Kabuto said with another bow. Neji tried not to sound stupid but the question came out before he could stop it.

"You have a son?"

"Oh yeah," Naruto replied, almost casually as if it was only natural. "He just turned nineteen this month. Rei, this is Hyuuga Neji. That guy I beat in my Chuunin exam."

"So I heard," Reigi said with an arrogant grin. Neji felt a chill run up his spine at how much this boy resembled a certain Uchiha but discarded the thought when he remembered that the man was Naruto's son. There was no way the man could be related to Sasuke, or so he thought.

"I do not mean to interrupt," Kabuto suddenly cut in with a serious expression. "But, Naruto, if we don't find lodging now and get some rest, your jutsu might not be able to hold through its nine months."

"Oh yeah," the blonde said in realization, turning back to Neji. "I guess, we should get going now –"

"Wait!" Neji suddenly spoke, catching the blonde's attention. "You can rest at my place, if you don't mind."

The three looked between themselves for a while before they all smiled at Neji.

"Sure," Naruto said, sending her most dazzling smile that made Neji's cheeks flush slightly. "We'd pick you over some unknown inn anytime!"

Neji gave a nod and, after picking up the fallen box that they later found out was filled with tea leaves and ginseng roots, lead the group of three to his house. Reigi gave one last glance at the Hokage monument before he stepped next to Kabuto, giving his mother space to catch up with her friend.

"So – um…how's Hinata doing?" Naruto asked, trying to make conversation. Neji looked at her for a while before turning back to the road.

"She's a jounin now," Neji said in a low voice and Naruto's eyes widened before she quickly looked away, a painful expression on her face. Being a jounin used to be her dream as well but now the dream seemed so far away with her being pregnant and in a fragile state. "She still hasn't forgotten you, Naruto. It was hardest for her when you left."

"I – I…" Naruto said, feeling so disappointed at her loss of words.

"We all know you didn't leave us at your own free will," Neji said and Naruto gave a start, a feeling of unease clenching her heart. It was true that Sasuke had placed her under an illusion jutsu before he practically kidnapped her but the truth was, she never made much of an effort to return. "Your apartment was a mess when Sakura checked it that morning after you left. Was it Sasuke's doing?"

"He placed me under an illusion that night," Naruto answered hesitantly, still looking away from the Hyuuga. "I'm sorry I caused everyone so much trouble."

"Don't worry," Neji replied and, finally, Naruto looked up at the older man who returned her searching look with a small smile. "You're here now. We won't let him take you again."

After hearing that, she smiled back at him. Behind them, however, Reigi was having difficulty controlling his mounting jealousy at how close the two were. Kabuto, on the other hand, was trying not to pay much attention at what the two were saying because he didn't really enjoy eavesdropping and trying to put as much distance between him and Reigi without anyone noticing.

"I'd really appreciate that," Naruto said with a happier tone, pulling out her long hair from her cloak and letting it fall down her back. Neji watched, transfixed, but snapped out of it when the blonde tucked a few strands behind her ear.

"You left you hair long," he stated, sounding quite amazed. Naruto turned to him and her cheeks coloured slightly at the way he was staring.

"It's actually shorter than this but that jutsu made it so long and I just didn't feel like cutting it," explained the blond, rummaging through her pockets for a hair-band that she always carried around. "But I don't hate being a woman really but once the baby is born, you'll see the other me, a much taller person."

Had the words been said to Reigi or Kabuto, it would have been easily understood and there wouldn't be much follow-up questions. The case was different though with Neji. Although he heard and understood the definition of every word, logic didn't seem to fit Naruto with the 'woman' and 'baby' part. To ease his mind's suffering, he opted to ask her about it in what he hoped was a dignified question.

"What baby?" he asked.

"This," Naruto said, pointing at her stomach. She failed to hear Kabuto mutter something about the baby being lower than where she was pointing as she smiled brightly. "I didn't tell you, did I? I'm pregnant!"

Had a woman, inside and out, told him that she was pregnant he would have either offered a 'congratulations' or said nothing based on the woman's relationship with him. Yet, no one could really blame him for stopping in his tracks at what his, originally, male friend said.

"I…I must have misheard," Neji said, staring into the bright blue eyes. "It sounded as if you have just proclaimed to me that you are now with child."

"I did say I'm 'with child'," Naruto replied, blinking. With a sigh, she began to take off her cloak.

"Naru-kaa-san, what are you doing?!" Reigi blurted out, his face pink. He knew that the blonde was wearing revealing clothes under the cloak because she had whined about how it would feel hot if she wore too thick before they left the mansion. Neji, however, turned to him with a strange expression.

"Kaa…san?" Neji said with disbelief and turned back to Naruto when he heard her sigh. If he had any lesser self-control than how he was then, his eyes would have bulged and he would have blushed. As it was, thankfully, Neji just stood still, calmly looking the blonde over. Kabuto, who also knew of the blonde's state of dress, looked away the moment the cloak left her shoulder.

"See? I'm a woman at the moment," the blonde said, placing a finger on her chest. Naruto was dressed in a wide-collared t-shirt that stretched around the bosom and ended a bit away from her bellybutton and baggy pants. "But my tummy isn't showing yet though."

Neji wasn't really that easy to get shaken and this didn't seem to surprise him so much if he really thought about it hard enough. He was honestly just a little shocked from what happened. Turning away, so that they can continue making their way over to his house, he began to doubt the reality behind it. Maybe he was just having a dream. Maybe someone had hit him on the head and he was now actually lying on the floor of that restaurant, bleeding and unconscious.

"Wow, you're taking this all in stride, white-eyes," Naruto spoke next to him in admiration. "I was kind of expecting you to burst out questions."

Neji stopped dead.

"If you are 'kaa-san' and Reigi-san is your son, who's the father?" Neji asked carefully, his eyes going from mother to son and back. He could venture a guess and somehow felt it was true but just to confirm.

"Well, we didn't really properly introduce ourselves, did we?" Reigi interrupted, extending his hand with a familiar quirk of his lips. "I'm Uchiha Reigi. Nice to meet you, Neji-san."

"Uchiha…"

Neji hesitantly shook the hand, unsure of what to make of the new development. Naruto, who had thrown on her cloak to escape the chill of the night, gave a small shrug and an uneasy smile.

"Reigi is an interesting mix between Uzumaki and Uchiha," she stated, looking up at the starless sky. The silence of the night didn't seem awkward at all and it was only broken when Naruto let out a soft sigh. "I have no shame in calling him my son."

There was an unreadable emotion in her tone but Reigi could understand slightly. He could tell the man in front of him understood too.

"We should get going," Neji finally said, turning back.

No other words were uttered until they reached his house.

…

All three had settled comfortably after a few arrangements were done. Both Naruto and Reigi insisted that they share the same room so Neji didn't have much choice but to prepare two futons in the room. After biding each other goodnight and thanking the host, the three newcomers left for their room to change into their yukata, which Neji had been firm about, and get some much needed rest.

Neji, who had always slept a little later than the hour, was sitting on the porch of his living room just staring into the dark night. A slight shuffling caught his senses and he turned around to see Naruto emerging from the sliding door of the room, dressed in the yukata he had prepared.

"Hey, white eyes," greeted the blonde, smiling in the dimness of the room. "I figured I'd find you here… Actually I wasn't expecting you to sit there of all places but we're not going to talk about that."

She walked next to him and settled herself comfortably on the floor, hugging her legs to her chest. They both stared outside for a while in silence, letting the night's sounds surround them before Naruto broke it with a long sigh.

"It's still weird knowing I'm finally in Konoha," she whispered, a small smile on her lips. "I really missed this place a lot. Maybe…maybe I should have tried harder to come back."

Neji remained silent, his eyes locked onto a leaf floating in a puddle. He was never the type to console people but he knew a thing or two of what he should and should not do. For now, he felt it was wise to let the blonde speak her heart out. Suddenly, he felt something grab onto his haori and felt a strange sense of déjà vu. A weight was placed next to him and, finally looking to the side, he saw that a mass of blonde was leaning onto him.

"He said he loved me once," Naruto said in a low voice. The white eyes widened slightly but closed a second later before he placed his other hand, the one she wasn't leaning on, on top of her head awkwardly. The blonde quivered under his touch and he could feel hot water soaking the sleeve of his haori. "I took his word for it and he was nice to me that night. I really thought he truly felt that way for me and that I wasn't deceiving myself.

"He was nice to me before Reigi was born. He'd come to my room and hold me tightly. He'd accompany me when I was bored because my condition was fragile at that time," Naruto cried into the man's arm and sobs wrecked her body. Neji leaned his head onto the blonde's in, what he hope was, a comforting gesture. He knew who she was speaking about even if she didn't tell him who it was. "Why? Why would he try to kill me?"

"What did he do to you?" Neji asked in a low voice, the hand on her head retreating onto his lap.

"Over the pass years, he has been telling me to eat these pills that slowly kill me," Naruto said, her voice sounding hollow. Suddenly, she pulled herself away from him and backed away until her back hit a wooden pillar. "Then, he had use of me and Kabuto advised me not to eat it anymore after my energy was restored.

"This –" she placed a hand over her flat stomach. "This child is Rei's child. I'm pregnant with my own son's child!"

Naruto looked hysterical with tears pouring down her face accompanied with a scared expression. Once she realized what she had blurted out, she hid her face in her hands and cried harder. Neji, dumbfounded by what he had just heard, could only stare at her as Naruto broke down in front of him.

"It's sick! My life is just so fucked up right now!" Naruto continued, her voice rising with self-hate. "Something is just so wrong with me! I'm even in love with my own son! What kind of a parent am I?!"

Neji finally broke out of his shock and neared the blonde. Carefully, he placed a hand on her head but nearly pulled it away when she flinched. Slowly, she looked up into his haunting white eyes and he awkwardly rubbed her head, still not familiar with comforting people. To him, it felt like he was trying to befriend a poor, defenceless puppy who just got kicked out of its master's home.

"White…eyes," Naruto said hesitantly before wiping her tears and sending him a smile. "Sorry if I made you feel awkward or anything."

"No, it's…its fine," Neji said, unable to stop the smile that had played on his lips. "I am curious also about how you were these past years."

"Tomorrow, I'm going to give the old hag a visit," she said with finality after a while. "I don't know how she'd react though. I hope she wouldn't be too angry. Then, I'll want to see Iruka-sensei and Sakura-chan and the old man at Ichiraku Ramen."

"Naruto…Iruka-sensei…" Neji began, his eyes averting away. Something struck in Naruto's heart at the man's expression and she almost didn't want to hear what he was about to say before the man turned to him suddenly and a smile quirked on his lips. "He's a father of two daughters now!"

Naruto couldn't believe her ears; she had been expecting something worse and, from the expression on Neji's face, she knew she had been played at.

"Ah! You tricked me!" the blonde shouted, although a grin made it to her face, and tried to swat at Neji, who had backed away. "How could you do something like that?! About Iruka-sensei no less!"

"Made you smile," Neji said, taking a seat a little away from the blonde. Naruto tried to glare at him but it didn't work so well with her grinning.

"So, Iruka-sensei has two daughters, huh?" Naruto said, more to herself as she looked at the dark sky. "Man, I missed out on so much."

"Yes, I dare say you did," Neji replied, staring at the woman in front of him intently. "Sakura is on a mission currently, so you won't be seeing her this week. Kakashi-sensei is on a mission as well, it seems.

"Really? That sucks," said Naruto, the smile still on her lips. "They were the first ones I wanted to see when I got back."

"You'll see them soon," Neji offered as comfort. His eyes caught sight of the tell-tale signs of tiredness in her eyes. "You should retreat for bed now. You must have gone through a long journey."

"Yeah, we did," the blonde agreed, pushing away from the pillar. Neji followed behind her as they made their way through the dark living room. Naruto watched their shadows moving on the tatami and she halted in her steps before turning around to face the taller man. Although his face was dark with shadow, she could tell he was looking at her. "It's not…_bad_ to fall in love with your own son, right? Especially when he loves you back?"

Neji kept to himself for a while, just staring into the pleading blue eyes. As calm as he looked outside, he was in mayhem inside. No one had ever consulted about love with him. Fighting strategy and jutsu, yes; Love and anything heart related, no.

"It depends on the individual," he finally relented to say when Naruto started to fidget uncomfortable. "As for me, I have no say even if you fell in love with a puppy."

"A puppy?" she asked, rising her eyebrows. There was a moment of silence, which made Neji feel inwardly nervous for fear he had said something wrong, before Naruto broke into hysterical laughter. Neji was expecting tears or more depression, but he really didn't expect the blonde to laugh so hard that she fell to her knees while clutching her stomach. "A puppy?! Ahahaha! Why puppy of all things?!"

Slightly miffed and relieved that she wasn't bawling her eyes again, Neji crossed his arms and turned away. Puppy had been the first thing that came to mind because he was thinking that Naruto resembled one when he comforted her but, as wisest to do, he kept the answer to himself.

After forcefully stopping her tirade of mirth, Naruto walked over to the, seemingly, annoyed man and playfully tugged at his haori.

"Hey, you changed a lot, you know?" Naruto said, smiling up at the man.

"You too; you are a completely different person now," Neji replied, uncrossing his arms. He felt the hand on his haori leave as Naruto stepped in front of him, practically invading his personal space.

"I know." Her face was lowered and she was looking to the side. Slowly, she brought her arms around Neji's waist, alerting the male. She seemed to give him time to move away but he didn't. Finally, she stepped forward and pressed her body against the taller one. "I know, Sasuke."

His eyes widened at this and he was about to pull away when he felt the blonde's body quiver and water soaked his yukata.

"I'm sorry I left you so suddenly," she began to say and he instantly understood that it wasn't meant for him. "I even brought Rei with me and even Kabuto. I'm sorry if I made a new scar in your heart by leaving you like this. To you, it must seem like a big betrayal because I promised to stay by your side that night we had conceived our first child. I told you I would always support you no matter what and you liked that part of me because you knew I would never break a promise. That changed with the passing days. My resolve weakened because of your deception. Now that I'm free, I'll gain back what I lost…I'm sorry, Sasuke. I love you and farewell."

She stopped and released his waist, letting herself sink before a pair of strong hands caught her upper arms.

"Naruto!" Neji called urgently and saw that she had fallen to sleep with tear streaks down her cheeks and chin.

…

Naruto woke up alone that morning. After washing up and changing her clothes, she went searching for her son. After going through random rooms, namely the living room, kitchen, a store room and study room, she finally peered into the garden. She was about to pull back in when Reigi jumped in front of her. Shocked, she nearly fell back had the young man not caught her by the arm.

"Sorry to shock you, Naru-kaa-san!" Reigi apologized, pulling the blonde to her feet.

"Where have you been, Rei?" she asked, letting her son climb in through the window.

"I was out practicing with Neji-san," her son replied, brushing dirt off his clothes. He looked around before leaning near his mother's left ear. "Oyaji-teme is stronger than this guy. I didn't even have to use all my strength against him and I still managed to land a few kicks."

"What? Really?" Naruto asked in a low voice, surprised.

"Actually I still broke a lot of sweat dodging from him but he wasn't as violent as Oyaji-teme," Reigi replied with a wink. Naruto smiled brightly.

"I guess, you're going to enjoy being here as much as I do," she replied. After looking around once again, he swooped down and caught her lips with his. Naruto blushed but, nevertheless, tilted her head to deepen the kiss as their tongues sought each other.

"Hey, host-san is coming," Kabuto's voice interrupted them from the hallway and they broke away, alarmed. Naruto blushed while Reigi scowled at the doctor for disturbing them until Neji came in, wondering why Kabuto was standing still in the dark hallway.

"Boy, your shoes," Neji said with a serious expression, indicating the shoes still on Reigi's feet.

"Hey, ji-chan, stop calling me that," Reigi replied, hardening his expression as he took off his shoes. He could almost see the twitch under the older man's eye at the name, "I'm nineteen already."

"Just go, Rei," Naruto insisted, pushing her son out into the hallway to put his shoes away. After watching her son disappear around the bend leading to the front door, she turned to her silent companion. "What's wrong, Kabuto?"

"It's rather bright today, isn't it?" Kabuto said with a nervous laughter before he retreated down the dark hallway. Naruto was about to follow him to enquire about his problem, when hysterical laughter came from the other end of the hallway. All three heads turned to see Reigi, who had come back from stashing away his footwear, clutching his stomach and face red.

"He – he told me – since he's never been out – the sun hurts his eyes!" Reigi managed to say in between bouts of laughter as he sank to the floor, his back leaning against the wall. Naruto turned immediately to an ashamed Kabuto.

"Really?" she felt sorry for the man, she really did, but she couldn't help the slight laughter in her voice. Kabuto, embarrassed and hurt, turned around sharply and fled down the hallway to his room.

"Kabuto? Kabuto, hey wait!" Naruto called out to him but was ignored. She turned sharply to her son, who had stopped his hysterical laughter to watch the scene and grew pale at the glare his mother sent him.

"I know, I know…" Reigi said, getting up and trudging to the doctor's room. "Honestly, he's being such a kid."

After the nineteen-year-old had slid the door to Kabuto's room close, Naruto turned to their silent host. "Reigi is a very perspective young man. He can understand my eye language better than I do."

Neji thought little of the matter and went to his room to clean up before preparing breakfast. Naruto offered to help, saying that she had nothing else to do anyway. As she was setting up the table, someone knocked on the door.

"I'll get it," Neji said, wiping his hand on a cloth before leaving the kitchen. Naruto continued to set the table up as she heard the front door open and a shrill girl's voice greeted Neji before a man's voice interrupted loudly. Curious, the blonde made her way to the front door.

"Who is it, white eyes?" asked the blonde playfully, glancing at the two visitors. She definitely never met the girl before but the man looked awfully familiar with his brown hair, long upside-down triangles on his cheeks and beastly eyes. "Kiba?"

"Ah, you've brought someone over," the girl said with mock-surprise. "Well, we don't want to disturb you so we'll –"

"Kiba!" Naruto shouted happily, running to stand beside Neji. The man, who was identified as Kiba, stared at her as if she was an alien. "It's me, Naruto! I just got back last night!"

Different from Neji's reaction the previous night, Kiba grew angry at the blonde.

"Are you trying to play with me, bitch?!" he yelled, his face full of fury. She was taken aback by this, her happiness quickly disappearing from her face. "I haven't forgotten how that dead last looks like and he definitely isn't a skimpy bitch like you!"

Naruto rewarded Kiba with a punch to his nose that made the man stagger down. Neji had to hold back the blonde in fear of her beating the crap out of his brash friend. "Who are you calling dead last, dog breath?!"

"Naruto, calm down! He's just sensitive when people mention about you," Neji tried to reason, still holding onto a struggling and angry Naruto. "It was difficult for him when you left as well. Everyone expressed their pain in a different way. He just has a more discourteous way of showing it."

The blonde ceased struggling and Neji loosened his hold on the blonde's arms. She lowered her face to the floor and pulled out of Neji's grasp before leaving for the kitchen. In a low voice, she uttered, "Please explain to him."

"I will," was the reply he got back.

Naruto leaned heavily on the wall and slid down. Her energy seemed to leave her after hearing what Neji had said. She didn't like to be the cause for sadness considering how lonely her childhood was. She really wished Reigi was there to comfort her…Reigi…

"Oh shit!" Naruto swore loudly, running out of the kitchen. Neji, who was explaining to a still dazed Kiba, looked up in alarm as he saw Naruto running in the direction of Kabuto's room. "I left the two in the same room together!"

The shoji door slid with such a force that it nearly bounced back had Naruto not held it away. Reigi, who was keeping Kabuto in a headlock, immediately released the doctor and stood up.

"I knew it…" Naruto sighed, crouching next to the pitiful young man and handed Kabuto his fallen glasses. "I should have realized earlier that it wasn't wise to send Reigi to apologize to you without supervision."

"It's just the first time I'm apologizing to him, so I wanted to make it memorable," Reigi joked, extending his hand to the other man, who took it hesitantly. "Kabuto-sensei doesn't mind, right?"

Kabuto didn't answer and just took to following Naruto to the kitchen, his eyes blinking a lot.

"Are your eyes okay?" Naruto asked, noticing how much the man blinked. It was secretly getting on her nerves but she tried not to let it show.

"I'll get used to it," Kabuto answered in a low voice, taking a seat at the dining table. Reigi wandered in a second later, sporting a look of confusion.

"Who's that man talking with ji-san?" he asked, also taking a seat across Kabuto. Naruto excused herself from the kitchen and wondered to the living room, where Neji had ushered Kiba in. The two males looked at her when she entered and Kiba immediately looked away.

"Have you finished explaining?" Naruto asked, crossing her arms with her eyes trained on the Inuzuka.

"I'm….sorry – about what I said back there," Kiba muttered. "I just don't like people badmouthing you."

The blonde took a seat next to Neji, uncrossing her arm, and gave the dog-lover a large grin. "Hey, I'm back."

Kiba looked up, startled, and felt his own grin making way to his lips. "Yeah, welcome back."

…

Morning passed with little difficulty and Reigi and Kabuto had accepted the blonde's schedule for the day without any whines. Neji had gone off to do his duty for the Hyuuga main branch house while Kiba had duties to perform for Konoha so neither of the two was able to accompany Naruto. She could care less if the two were free or not as she had made up her mind.

"We should get going now!" Naruto said enthusiastically, leaving the house first, followed by her eager son while Kabuto was left to lock up the door and hide the key in a small alcove at the top of the door frame. "Isn't today a nice day?"

"Too bright," muttered Kabuto to himself, busying his hands with the cuff of his shirt. Reigi took to walking next to the blonde and slip his hand onto her hips casually. With that, they made their way to their first stop, the Hokage tower.

Kabuto felt a little uneasy about meeting such an important person so casually even when Naruto tried to comfort him by saying that she was close to the Godaime. She had said that she wanted to announce her return but he could tell that their visit was a lot more than that. There was a strange uneasiness in his heart as to what that 'more' was. Could it be Naruto was going to sell out information about Sasuke so that Konoha can plan an attack on the Uchiha?

He had no qualms about his superior's life but he had a lot of comrades and friends there that he didn't want dead. He also knew that Ritsuko's life would on the line because he was one of Sasuke's elite Calling Mark bearers even if he was one of the weakest in his team. If Konoha was to attack them, Ritsuko would feel betrayed by him for selling them out. The notion made his heart clench painfully and he was about to call out to the blonde to talk it over when he remembered something.

His hand, that had risen slightly, fell back to his side.

The realization that Naruto, too, had friends there that she cherished, calmed him. He needed to have more faith in the person in front of him. With that, he left the worry in his head and finally took the time to admire the peaceful village.

It wasn't such a long walk there and they didn't make a lot of detours except to the optometrist to adjust a pair of Kabuto's glasses so that the lens held a darker shade and to a random stall where they each got themselves a keychain. Naruto seemed very relaxed as she strolled right into the tower as if she was just visiting a friend and not the most important woman in Konoha.

They didn't have to wander long before a blonde woman was rushing down the stairs at top speed with another woman yelling for her to stop.

"Old hag!" Naruto called out, startled. Kabuto's jaw dropped at the impolite name calling while Reigi raised one of his dark eyebrows. The two women stopped and stared at Naruto.

"Only one person gets away with calling me that in this lifetime," the first woman said, nearing the three. Naruto gave her a large smile and rubbed the back of her head.

"Hey, old hag, I'm back," she said, the large grin still on her face. "I thought I'd come here to announce that Uzumaki Naruto has just returned home!"

…

Farewell Sasuke; Hello Konoha.

-----------------

A/N: This chapter seemed pretty rushed, right? Well, I didn't think I would post chapter 9 so early after the release of chapter 8 but life has its way of showing me not to take my freedom for granted. Ever since mid 2007, my mother has been telling me to try and get myself into…hostel at school? Well, I filled in the request form in early November and prayed they rejected it but to celebrate my release of chapter 8, they called and said I was accepted.

**IMPORTANT**:

I would only be allowed to return once every 2 weeks so don't be expecting a new chapter for a long time. A long time being more than 3 months at the least.

This chapter was not BETA'd because Shiro-kun is still having unavoidable problems and therefore please bear with my mistakes.

Thanks to:** IJ**(I kind of hate all that components as well), **Akirakun17**(Well, Merry Christmas but I don't think Reigi will enjoy threesome very much but things can change. Only the future, inspiration and my mood can tell), **TasteLikeBlood**(Tsunade's reaction will have to wait until next time. Sorry!), **Kitty**(I'll try my best on the background next time!), **DeityOfDeath**(It'll be difficult to recognize her while she's in that form) **, sulie**(I'll study chemistry harder!) and **Queen of Blah**(I don't know if it'll help me, but what you told me was interesting! I appreciate it)

Please leave a review, thanks.


	10. A Switching Soul

Disclaimer: Why do you still question my sanity? Of course I don't own them. There's a reason it's called _fan_fic

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, slight SasuNaru

A/N: Wow! It's already been a year! I'm so sorry I couldn't update all through the year and this time it's also short.

Oedipus Complex 

Feshnie 

Chapter 10: A Switching Soul

_The area around him was dark and chilly. The warmth from his breath changed and the low surrounding temperature had him breathing out white puffs of vapour that was quickly disband__ed by the wind. His bright blonde hair slapped harshly against his rosy cheeks. His eyes felt dry and he constantly blinked to ensure the moisture didn't run out. His cherry nose, the result of being out long in the cold, was pressed by cool fingers as he fought to hold in a sneeze._

_His worry mounted higher when the sky began to darken in blood red. The snow crunched mockingly under his sandals as he threaded the outskirts of a sea of leafless trees. There was no sign of dark hair as he stared at the overcast parts of the woods, shadowed by the mansion._

_His heart raced as ha recalled how Sasuke had warned him about the dangers of that part of the forest. His intuition kicked in and he ran past the first layer of trees and further threaded to more than fifty steps from the outskirts, managing to land himself deep within the cold and lifeless forest._

_The sound of a child's sobs gave him a start and he frantically ran to its source. His heart pounded rapidly in his chest and his lungs burned but he felt relief wash through his veins at the sight of a young boy huddled between the thick and hard roots of a large and old looking tree, crying. He stepped in front of the boy and dropped heavily onto his knees. The young boy looked up in alarm._

"_Rei," he breathed out before pulling the boy to his chest. Tears welled in his eyes but he held it in, wanting to seem strong. For a while they sat in silence, broken only by the child's sobs, until he calmed his beating heart and pulled away. "Why did you run away, Rei? You had me worried sick."_

_His words were gentle but it made the boy look down in shame. He felt guilty for the boy's reaction but refused to vocalize it because a part of him, he figured it was his ego, knew the answer for that question. As compensation, he ran his hands through the dark locks and let his hand fall to rest on a quivering shoulder. The boy was surely freezing in such a cold temperature._

"_Why didn't Naru-kaa-san tell me that Shochi died?" the five-year-old asked accusingly, glaring at his small fists gripping his shorts._

_He sighed heavily before picking the compliant boy up and leisurely made his way out of the darkening woods. He remained silent as they walked past a few tall trees, opting to gently rub the boy's back, just giving time for Reigi to calm down._

"_I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Rei," he finally spoke as he spotted the flat grounds of the mansion. He could feel the boy snuggle deeper into his warm embrace. "I didn't expect you to act this way."_

"_Promise me you'll never keep anything from me again," the boy said, burrowing his face in the crook of his parent's shoulder._

_Naruto said nothing._

…

The room was filled with tense silence as Kabuto finished explaining the miracles of Reigi's birth. Naruto, who had once been briefed about this, stood uneasily next to the young doctor, trying not to fidget so much when eyes turned to her. Truthfully, she didn't really comprehend half of what spouted out of Kabuto's mouth but Tsunade looked like she did and Naruto was just happy that the older woman had taken all of it positively. At least, she hoped so.

When Sasuke had been mentioned being the father of Reigi, the Godaime and her assistant had grown stressed and a look of hatred and pain passed the Godaime's face. Reigi felt a strange sense of satisfaction and triumph at her expression. Perhaps it was the very thought that his bastard of a father was a loathed person in this place he would soon learn to call home sent an excellent spark of positivism to his hatred for his father. Naruto, however, was anxious of how she would come about announcing her and Reigi's child.

After some time, filled with glances and fidgets from the younger blonde, Tsunade averted her eyes from the bespectacled man to the petite form next to him. "Is that the reason Naruto is presently a woman?"

Kabuto, resigned to the tasking job of explaining, opened his mouth only to be interrupted by a strong yank of his arm sleeve from the person in question. He stared, shocked at the blonde, but said nothing when Naruto experimentally cleared her throat.

"It's not because of that," Naruto said nervously, a hand immediately flying to her flat stomach. "I'm currently a woman because I'm pregnant."

Her heart was beating so fast, she swore it could burst out of her chest at any moment.

"Again," she decided to include as an afterthought.

Shizune gave a small gasp but otherwise did nothing while Tsunade had a very contemplative look about her young features as if she had already expected such an answer. Warm brown eyes were hidden behind eyelids before it opened and focused on a pair of dark blue eyes. Reigi grew slightly tense at the sudden cold look the woman was giving him but his pride allowed him no path of backing down from an effortless challenge as he hardened his glare and lowered his eyebrows. For a short moment they stared eye to eye and Reigi could sense a distrust that the woman harboured against him before the brown eyes averted to sky blue.

"Is it Sasuke's child?" she asked in a low tone. Naruto gulped heavily.

"No," answered the young woman and Tsunade's eyes widened. Finally looking away, Naruto grabbed Reigi's hand and gave it a light squeeze. "It's Rei's child."

The hint of shame in Naruto's voice caught Reigi by surprise as he thought it was something to be proud of. They loved each other. Why would his mother feel shame for bearing his child? A hollow feeling griped the young man and he felt irate all of a sudden.

"Your son's child?" Tsunade asked in aghast, her eyes wondering between the mother and son. Reigi started to feel a certain degree of dislike against the woman as Naruto's cheeks grew dark from humiliation. "How did this happen?"

"In the beginning, Sasuke forced me on Rei," the blonde began carefully. The young Uchiha frowned at the implication that neither of them had wanted it from the beginning. "But after that, before I got pregnant, I fell in love with him."

Kabuto seemed to be tuning out Naruto's confession as he looked out the window longingly at a pair of sparrows soaring through the sky. Shizune, on the other hand, looked completely shell-shocked with red-tinted cheeks. Naruto blushed crimson, feeling as if she was asking permission to marry from a parent. Reigi was sporting a lopsided grin, completely forgetting his previous anger.

"Does Sasuke know this?" Tsunade asked, almost incredulously. Naruto fidgeted uncomfortably, tightening her hold on the tan hand. The dislike for Tsunade returned with a bigger force in Reigi without him realizing that it was because he grew overprotective of his mother's feelings.

"He didn't say but I think he does," Naruto answered as best as she could. There was an unspoken question that the blonde immediately recognized. "He doesn't mind, really! He even said… that I don't excite him anymore."

Although the last part was said in a very low tone, the entire room occupant fell silent; Tsunade gaping, Reigi seething and the others embarrassed and awkward.

With a well placed cough, Tsunade spoke a hurried "Congratulations" accompanied with deliberately loud useless shifting of a small stack of papers in front of her before changing the subject. "I'm glad you're back, Naruto. Everyone should be relieved to hear you've returned. How would you like your appearance to be known?"

"I'll let the wind carry it," she replied with a smile, which was automatically reciprocated by the Godaime. "It's kind of nice to see people have surprised faces when I walk up to them going, 'hey, I'm back'."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I definitely am," Naruto replied with certainty, a glimmer in her blue eyes. "Besides, it won't be difficult to spread once I meet up with Ino."

"I wouldn't really bet on that. Time changes people a lot," said Tsunade, implying that Ino was no longer the gossipy girl Naruto knew her as. "But if that is what you want, then I shouldn't have much say in this."

"Thanks, I'd want that," replied the younger blonde before she turned serious. "There is also a matter I want to speak to you about."

Tsunade, getting the hint that what was to come was no longer a matter of fooling, beckoned her to continue.

"I want to request protection against Sasuke," Naruto began smoothly, making everyone straighten there back with interest, even Kabuto. Tsunade nodded stiffly, showing she understood. "I don't think he would be chasing after me if not for the fact that I am with his future grandchild… and because of the Soul Switching Jutsu."

"Naruto!" Kabuto immediately called out in warning. The blonde looked down in remorse before hugging herself and trembled slightly. Reigi stared in alarm before pulling his quivering mother into his arms, sending a death glare at the guilty-looking young doctor. Tsunade shifted in her seat with interest.

"I'd like to know myself," Reigi said threateningly, hardening his glare.

A tense air surrounded the room once again, everyone waiting for Kabuto to speak up. The doctor remained quiet, taking notice of the dirt on his shoe. After some time, Naruto turned around in her son's arms.

"They have to understand why he's chasing after me," the younger blonde said in a small voice, leaving Reigi's side to approach the young doctor. Kabuto finally looked up, his dark eyes searching the bright blue ones. A small sigh escaped his lips while four pair of eyes watched him, each consumed in different thoughts.

"Yes, Naruto," Kabuto finally said with a defeated sigh. Naruto smiled thankfully at him for a while before she turned to face the Godaime seriously.

"I can only say what happened from my perspective but I can't describe how it was done because even I, myself, don't understand the intricacy of the jutsu no matter how many times Kabuto tries to explain," began Naruto, already fidgeting on the balls of her feet.

She kept glancing at the black-haired man, as if asking for support, which Kabuto felt a little disinclined to grant. Telling about the jutsu wouldn't have so big an effect on him but to Naruto, it had tremendous effect; especially on her relationship with Reigi. This might come as a blessing in disguise for him if they broke off and he was left to care for the blonde that he had, since young, fallen in love with but he knew it was wrong to think like that. After all, Naruto has had her heart broken a lot by Sasuke's cruelness and Reigi had finally been able to amend most parts. To have it broken the second time, if Reigi was ever going to after Naruto explained about the Soul Switching Jutsu, would probably have a larger effect on the blonde. He once told the blonde about this predicament if she was ever going to enlighten her son and the blonde just bit her lips and looked to the side before making him promise not to breathe a word about it to her son.

Then why was she bringing this up?

"This…jutsu – the Soul Switching Jutsu – was used on me after my body started to die from miscarriage of the first child Sasuke and I conceived," Naruto paused here, letting Tsunade process the information.

"You've miscarried?!"

Naruto nodded sadly before continuing on.

"I didn't sense anything at first, just a certain numbness surrounding from under my stomach to my privates," Naruto continued, her eyes glazed slightly as the memory replayed itself in her head. Kabuto took cautious steps forward before he lightly placed his hand on the small shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze. Reigi, noticing this, gave a small glare but, otherwise, didn't make a move to stop the doctor's actions. "But Sasuke came to me, after the operation, and told me that my body was gradually decaying from the combination of miscarriage and Oiroke no Jutsu and I had less than three months to live."

Tsunade's eyes widened only slightly, while Shizune gave a sharp intake of breath. Naruto lowered her head, her eyes trained on the coarse pale grey floor. There was apparent sand and stone among the dirt and dust residing as a layer above the cold floor and Naruto took a little time to look through a square of it.

"After I was fit enough to walk on my own two feet, he brought me around to find a possible cure but there was none. By the second month, I started to outwardly decay. It was very disgusting." Naruto gave a small melancholic grimace as she reminisced. "I began to notice him shutting himself up, reading over scrolls and books and sending his people around to track for secret or hidden cures. It wasn't until the end of the second month that he came to my side and told me he had found a cure.

"I gave full confidence for him to cure me. The last thing I remembered before he placed me under an illusion was the feeling of my thumb being pricked," Naruto paused with a shuddered breath. Her eyes were glazed with tears as she stared at the cup of Tsunade's cold tea, which was sitting silently on the desk next to a pile of unsigned reports. "When I woke up and turned, I was face to face with a blue and dead body; the body that used to home me."

A gasp escaped Shizune again but Tsunade remained silent, the only notification of her shock was the twitch of an eyebrow. Reigi gave a start, his eyes widening but words left him as he could only stare in silence. Seeing the subtle reactions, Naruto lowered her face. The hand on her shoulder tightened only very slightly but she could feel the energy entering her back again.

"The Soul Switching Jutsu was just a modified jutsu of Orochimaru's that he created to switch bodies. Sasuke had adjusted it so that I still had a part of myself that was sufficient enough for him to create the child that he wanted and it would last longer than the bodies that Orochimaru took over," once again she paused. "But it all came with a price. The connection between me and the Kyuubi thinned and scattered, making it possible for Rei to obtain a bit of the Kyuubi's abilities."

Two pairs of eyes turned to the Uchiha and the young man unconsciously took a small step back.

"What kind of ability?" Tsunade asked suspiciously. Reigi frowned at the tone used but kept to himself for the moment. He needed to hear his mother's response.

"He has Kyuubi's healing ability and he can enhance his senses," the blonde began, looking out the window behind the Godaime. "Other than that, he can be a bit wild but he might have just gotten that from me. At that time, I could still communicate with Kyuubi, not that I wanted to, but I was losing the connection with Kyuubi's chakra."

"Could it possibly mean…" Tsunade trailed off, glancing out of the corner of her eye to Shizune. The woman looked back at her and she could tell they were both thinking the same thing. "Does that mean you're no longer the Kyuubi vessel?"

A shiver ran up the young-looking aged woman's spine when the younger blonde's lips quirked upward ever so slightly. An ominous feeling entered her stomach when sky blue eyes turned to meet the dark eyes of the young doctor. Kabuto nodded and lifted his hand from Naruto's shoulder and stepped forward.

"The Kyuubi was naturally not set to home within the body but was actually tied to the soul of the vessel and fuse with the body after blending in with the soul. It actually enhances the bind of the soul and the body that cause the entity to be difficult to separate," explained the twenty-six-year-old man, looking unblinkingly at the Godaime. Reigi chanced a glance at his mother but Naruto was busy looking at the floor with an indifferent face. "It was only comprehensible that the Kyuubi followed the soul but because it had long been melding with the body, the separation of the two caused the binding particles to scatter and the tear was difficult to mould with the new body without every piece of the scattered particles."

"In other words, I brought the Kyuubi with me," Naruto summarised, making all eyes return back to her.

"But you mentioned that you were losing the connection with the Kyuubi's chakra. Why is that?" Tsunade asked, her brows creasing.

"Inadvertently, the chakra is strongly connected to the mind. To access control of this, the Jinchuuriki must bind with soul and body before it can breach the mind," Kabuto replied. "With the separation of mind and body, the binding mechanism has weakened. It cannot grip strong enough on both entities to enable the Kyuubi's chakra to breach the mind."

"You're confusing me," Naruto muttered under her breath before letting out a long sigh. "Anyway, I can't excess his strength much with this new body."

"New body?" Reigi suddenly wondered out loud.

"Yes, this is actually the third body I'm in," Naruto said. She held up three fingers and began counting them down. "First was after the miscarriage. The second one was shortly after Rei's birth. The last one was very recent because the second body had begun to show signs of dying."

"After my birth…but why?" Reigi asked a look of shock disbelief.

Naruto shared a brief glance with Kabuto before looking to the floor and inhaled deeply.

"It was difficult for the body to handle birth naturally so they had to cut me up. It wasn't life threatening at first but one of the doctors did a vital mistake and I began to suffer terrible blood loss," the blonde hesitantly explained, her voice breaking slightly as the memories came back to her. "It was like a spur of the moment thing but Sasuke did the Soul Switching Jutsu after they had pulled Rei out. That was what Hiruyu-sensei told me at least. I wasn't conscious when it all happened. What I did realize when I woke up was feeling numb all over."

Reigi didn't think twice as he reached out and curled his arms around the small shoulders. Naruto flinched at the sudden contact but relaxed at the familiar embrace. Tsunade looked away for a while as she mulled over the newest information.

"How does the Soul Switching Jutsu relate to Sasuke wanting you back?" Shizune suddenly asked, pulling all attentions to her. Reigi slowly released his mother as Naruto turned to look at Kabuto before looking at the person who had finally opened her mouth.

"The third body, the one Naruto is currently hosting, in actuality is the body of a person with a blood-limit that, when combined with the sharingan, can produce a naturally strong shinobi," Kabuto explained monotonously. "However, it is still in an experimental stage. Hence, Sasuke would want to watch over Naruto closely throughout the pregnancy."

Reigi took hold of Naruto's hand and she nearly smiled at the protectiveness of her son towards her as she gazed at the tan face of her son.

"That is why Sasuke would chase after Naruto."

A pregnant silence filled the room.

…

Reigi couldn't understand it.

After they had left the Godaime's office, his mother had taken to distancing herself with him and he was at a loss as to why. It was more disgruntling when he noticed how Kabuto kept to her side closely and she didn't seem to mind at all.

"Maybe we should eat first," suggested Kabuto, pointing to a small restaurant a bit away from them. Naruto seemed to contemplate on the idea. "Host-san wouldn't be back until later in the evening, right?"

Naruto slowly nodded before she stepped forward but stopped and reached for Kabuto's hand and tugged him to the restaurant. Reigi positively seethed at the scene as he followed after the two into the scarcely shadowed room before taking a seat right in front of his mother. Without fully realizing it, he was glaring at her, who was doing a good job of ignoring him by staring down at the menu set before her.

"What would you like, Reigi-sama?" Kabuto asked him. He didn't look at the young doctor but answered venomously.

"Whatever Naru-kaa-san's taking."

Naruto flinched slightly but kept her nose down, not even lifting to watch Kabuto as she gave her order.

"I think I'll just have tempura soba," she said.

Kabuto stood up to order at the counter even as he saw a waitress making her way to their table. Reigi knew why he'd done that and he was grudgingly thankful at the man for giving them a moment of privacy.

"Why?" he asked instantly. Naruto finally tore her eyes away from the menu before her.

"Don't you get what I just said in there?" Naruto asked in a low voice, shutting her eyes with a pained expression. So his mother was purposely ignoring him. The thought made him angrier.

"Which part should I get, Naru-kaa-san?" he snapped angrily, his glare hardening.

"The part where you should have realized I'm no longer me!" Naruto finally stared into the dark eyes with her own glare as her voice was slightly raised from emotions. Tears started filling her eyes but she was adamant about glaring back.

"What about that? I don't see any reason you should be treating me this way!" Reigi's voice was also raised slightly out of frustration. Naruto's eyes widened before she slid back a little, her glare disappearing under a look of desperation.

"I know and I'm sorry," she said, her eyes trained to the wooden table. "I really hoped you wouldn't understand at first anyway but the fear of it kept eating at me. I felt awkward and I didn't know what to do."

Reigi watched her closely, his glare already dropping to be replaced by an emotionless face. Naruto took in a shuddering breath as if to steady herself for what she was going to tell.

"This child is yours, Rei, but it is not mine."

…

Reigi twirled a blond strand of hair with a finger and let it slip between the finger and his thumb. His own dark locks curtained about his face as he stared down at the unconscious face nestled in his lap. The edges of his lips quirked upwards in a smirk as he pressed the palm of his hand lightly on the pale forehead making the blonde turn and moan in her sleep.

He looked up when the door slid open. In came their generous host, bringing with him a tray of warm tea. They shared a brief greeting before the man took a seat near the low table.

"Naru-kaa-san, wake up," Reigi urged his mother with a gentle caress of her cheek. Bright blue eyes were released from pale eyelids and he smiled down at her, which she happily reciprocated with a tired and sleep-laden smile. It took him a few seconds to realize that Neji was in the room before she slowly sat up.

"What's the time?" she asked, staring out the window at the darkening sky.

"It is almost 7," Neji answered, pouring the tea into three empty cups. He briefly glanced at the tousle-haired blonde and her son before his eyes returned to the task in hand. "Where is the other one?"

"Kabuto-sensei went to buy some medicines," Reigi replied nonchalantly, standing up before helping the blonde to stand as well. Naruto excused herself to freshen up and the two men were left in the room alone.

"The Godaime spoke of something interesting today," Neji said, breaking the silence.

"I take it you just came back from the Hokage," Reigi said, staring out the window with folded arms. Neji stared at the young man out of the corner of his eyes. There was a wide gap between them but he could still sense a defensive aura emanating from him. "How much did that woman tell you?"

Silence fell between them for a while. The only sounds being the twittering of evening birds and the sound of a nearby flowing river. Loud chattering came and passed as a group of children tottered through the dirt path near the Hyuuga's house. Reigi bathed in the sounds of nature and felt himself calm slightly. There was never much time for him to appreciate nature like he was now when he was at the mansion. His world had so far revolved around his mother. Finally, a shifting broke in his peace and he turned to meet eyes with its source.

"Godaime-hokage only told that of importance," was Neji's short reply.

"Has she given any verdict?"

"For now, I am assigned as her guard," the older man replied, eyes staring at the polished wooden table. "The Godaime will work for a better protection squad as soon as she is able to. For now, she is recruiting people to guard around the village."

Reigi nodded solemnly with a grim face.

"There is nothing for you to worry about. Naruto has always been in the favour of the Godaime. She will, without a doubt, assemble the best of her men to protect her. From all I've heard, those two have quite a history together; back when she was just a ruthless twelve-year-old," added Neji, watching the young Uchiha out of the corner of his eyes.

Reigi silently appreciated how Neji tried to console him and he hoped what the man had said was true. Despite the fact that the woman had not rubbed him the right way but he felt that he could trust her with his mother's life. It wasn't like he had much of a choice and if his mother was all right with it, who was he to deny?

The sound of the front door opening accompanied with Kabuto's monotone greeting made Reigi turn to the living room entrance, expecting to see the man walk in. They could hear the sounds of foot on wood approaching them before it was halted by the sound of shoji doors opening. Naruto's greetings was a bit muffled, perhaps from having just finished washing her face and was damping it with a towel. Kabuto's tone of greeting changed to delight as he answered her.

Reigi frowned at this.

Their delighted chattering followed them to the living room, growing louder in the process and Reigi turned to stare out the window again, trying to appear as if he wasn't even interested in the first place.

"How much did they all cost?" He could hear Naruto asking as the two of them entered, side by side much to the younger man's pleasure. He could hear Kabuto give out a low chuckle as he placed the items he had bought on the table rightly after greeting their host. "White-eyes, I used your bathroom. Thanks. Na, Kabuto, if it's too expensive, I'll pitch in some of my money."

Reigi tried not to mind so much about how his mother was fussing over the doctor's state of wealth. He could care less if the doctor ended up impoverished as long as he was using it for his mother's wellbeing. It was selfish; anyone sane enough would notice that, but they brought the doctor here because of his mother wasn't it?

Trying to seem inconspicuous, he stared at the doctor out of the corners of his hooded eyes as the man continued to smoothly ward off Naruto's worry. The young doctor seemed to sense his stare as he gave a small start and stared back at him in wonder. Quickly, Reigi looked back out the window but he knew he had already been found out.

...

There was a tense air surrounding them and his heartbeat accelerated. The night air cooled the perspiration that covered his forehead. Fear had never been a good friend of his when beings with the Uchiha blood were close to him. At the moment, his fears would not bring him to his death like what he always felt when near Uchiha Sasuke. Instead, this fear was born out of nervousness and awkwardness and curiosity. The Uchiha leaning on the pillar next to him made him question the true purpose of that person approaching him.

"I didn't think you'd be up," Uchiha Reigi said, pretending to look around. A cold shiver ran down his spine at the low and cold tone that reminded him so much of the older Uchiha. "You and I both know we don't share interest in one another so I'm going to get straight to the point."

Kabuto stared at his bare feet with little interest.

"You love Naru-kaa-san, don't you?" It sounded more of a statement but the younger man still waited for him to answer.

"It never bordered out of a platonic one," he answered truthfully in a low voice. He felt the young man take a seat next to him and he instinctively edged away. "You can stop being suspicious of me. I'm not going to do anything to her. She's already with someone and that person is not me."

"Still, I don't like the fact that you love her. It gives me a sense of competition," Reigi said, still not looking at him.

"There won't be any competition from me," Kabuto said with a hint of resignation. "I don't plan on ever telling Naruto how I feel. I'm just content with being the one who can help her and keep her healthy and alive. It will only trouble her if she finds out."

"I'm glad you realize that," Reigi said after a while, finally turning to look at the black-haired man. Their gazes met, one cool and one determined, and the tension in the air seemed to ebb away with the starts of the younger ones tilt of his lips. "You're pretty mushy, you know that? I won't be surprised if you have lovey-dovey poems in those notebooks you write in.

"I don't do that kind of thing!" Kabuto immediately denied while his cheeks flushed slightly. He further reddened when an amused smirk played on the younger man's lips. "I really don't. I'm not that kind of person!"

"Heh, you're really like a girl, Kabuto," Reigi said, staring intently at his face, the smirk still on his face. Kabuto had a worried and annoyed look when he noticed that the prodigy had dropped the suffix behind his name. "It's pretty cute."

It was only for a very brief moment but Reigi saw the pout that formed from his last comment before the doctor turned away. His eyes didn't leave the smaller form though and they sat like that for quite some time until Kabuto felt tired of feeling the stare pierce into him. He turned to the man, straightening his back, and returned the stare with his own severe one.

"I won't do anything to her so quit staring at me!" he hissed angrily and Kabuto marvelled at how much the man had just resembled an angry cat.

"Do you regret following us?" Reigi suddenly asked his stare hardening.

"Why would I?" Kabuto retorted angrily, nerves still sensitive from being stared down, although his voice dropped slightly.

"You don't have much to gain from following us," was the explanation that he received. The black-haired man frowned at this with furrowed eyebrows.

"Naruto is in an unstable condition. I can't leave her like that!" Kabuto said angrily, getting defensive. Reigi's eyes widened in startle but he let it fall close over his dark eyes as he pulled back slightly.

"I hate you, you know?" Reigi said, pulling his bangs back and looking at the dark sky. Kabuto grew alert at that statement and pulled away before he turned so that his side met the younger man. "I can't do anything to you if I want Naru-kaa-san to remain."

Kabuto didn't reply to this. Instead, he returned to staring at his pale feet.

"I'll protect you," Reigi said with a hint of finality. Kabuto looked at him, shock apparent on his face.

"What for?" the young doctor asked, almost incredulous.

"For Naru-kaa-san," was the reply before Reigi held out his hand. "In turn, you'll continue to keep her alive and healthy.

Kabuto, understanding, took the hand and shook it twice before Reigi hoisted him up. He staggered from the force but righted himself immediately. He stood barely above the other's forehead but he could see in the shade of the other's eyes that they had reached an agreement.

"Well, see you tomorrow, Kabuto-sensei," Reigi said before making his way inside.

Kabuto continued to stare at the younger man's back until he walked out the shoji doors and shut it close with a barely audible thud. The hand that had held the other man felt warm against the cool night air. A bitter smile replaced the frown he hadn't realized he was sporting as he stared at his hand.

"You must have felt warm, Naruto," he whispered to no one in particular. "To be in the embrace of such a person."

…

"I've reached an agreement with him last night!" Reigi proudly declared to his mother, hands on his waist and a big grin on his face.

The pale hands that had been folding the futon stopped as its owner stared without comprehension at her son. Reigi felt giddy about this because it was supposed to be a surprise for his mother. The blonde had complained the evening before that he couldn't continue disliking the doctor because Kabuto would remain with them for a long time and that she felt uncomfortable for the man who had willingly left a good life to come and journey with her just to take care of her.

"Reached what with who?" Naruto asked; her face indescribable as she stood to stash the folded futon into the closet.

"I finally talked to Kabuto-sensei," Reigi said with barely uncontrollable delight, as if he was a kid who had just found a mountain of candy. Naruto, however, had a completely horrified expression as the futon slipped from her hands and tumbled to the ground, unfolding again.

"What did you do to him?" Naruto asked, half suspicious and half fearful, making her son pout.

"I didn't do anything to him. We just talked last night," Reigi said in defend as he saw Naruto bending to pick up the futon again and spreading it on the floor to refold. "Why would I do anything to him?"

Naruto refrained from mentioning the incident yesterday as she waited for Reigi to continue. The futon in her arms was placed distractedly at its place.

"I think we have reached an agreement," Reigi continued, his smile returning to his lips as he waved a finger. "Of course, I can't tell you what that agreement is for a few reasons that I'm very sure Kabuto-sensei agrees with but your dilemma is perished, right Naru-kaa-san?"

Naruto tried not to give out a great big sigh but Reigi could sense from his mother's expression that he had somehow made the problem bigger.

"I don't really know what you did, Rei, but I meant for you to treat him better," Naruto said, turning her back to her son as she rummaged in the bag that they had brought for fresh clothes. "Stop glaring at him and calling him names. Have respect for him because he's older than you and treat him like you would treat a precious team mate. That is what I meant."

Reigi stared with a frown at the floor. He hadn't thought it meant like that but now that he thought about it, it was true.

"Okay, I get it," he said seriously, a thoughtful look on his face, as he stood up to leave the room.

"Where are you going?" Naruto asked, the lasts of her fresh clothes in her arms. They hadn't been able to bring much with them in their escape and she hadn't been able to do the laundry yesterday, out of Kabuto's strict orders to rest and avoid heavy work for the time being.

"I'm not sure," Reigi answered, turning back to his mother and saw what she held in her arms. "Are you going to take a bath? I'll heat the water for you."

"That would be great," Naruto said with a nod and a smile. "I'd like that."

"Anything for you, Naru-kaa-san," Reigi said, already making his way out the door without realizing that he had left a blushing Naruto behind.

As he made his way through the hallway, he noticed that the room Kabuto was occupying had been left open so he sneaked closer to check on the young doctor. There was silence when he peered in and saw that the older man's back was facing him as Kabuto stared out the window, a notebook in his lap and a pen in his mouth.

Kabuto's hair was pulled into a high ponytail, giving Reigi a good view of the man's neck as the young doctor looked down to write something in his notebook. The doctor was donned in a wide-collared-sweater, the one he had worn under his clock when they came, and the younger man could see the bony shoulders stiffen as the man looked up, straight in front of him.

"Was there something you needed from me, Reigi-sama?"

Oh, so he was found out. Smirking, he left his hiding place and stepped in confidently to the man. The notebook and pen was placed on the floor next to him as Kabuto turned slowly to the young Uchiha, eyes trained on the floor. Reigi knelt down swiftly behind the man before Kabuto could fully turn to him, surprising the young doctor, and draped an arm over the man's shoulder.

"Naru-kaa-san said I have to treat you better," Reigi whispered in his ears playfully, making the young doctor shiver and grow flustered. He pulled his arm back slightly and let his hands play with the dark side bangs, making Kabuto shift uncomfortably, trying to get away from the hand. "She said I have to stop glaring at you and call you names and treat you like someone precious. You and I both want her to be happy, right?"

Kabuto nodded slowly quite unsure about the conversation, before his eyes caught the playful eyes of Reigi and he realized that the other was staring amusedly at him. He could finally see the man clearly at their close proximity and he felt very uncomfortable about how the eyes were staring down at him.

"Then I'll let you help prepare Naru-kaa-san's bath with me to show her our newfound friendship," Reigi said, tapping a finger on the doctor's nose with his free hand before he pulled the doctor out the door and to the bathroom, laughing all along. Naruto watched silently from the door of her room at the two, quite unsure if she should be happy that the two had somehow made up or should save Kabuto from her son's amusement.

"The bath will be done in a second, Naru-kaa-san!" Reigi happily shouted to his mother as he waved at her with his free hand. The blonde was suddenly very happy that Neji was called to the Hokage's office because she didn't know if the man would have enjoyed the noisy morning Reigi had created.

…

It was late afternoon by the time they heard the front door open with Neji's monotone salutation and they all panicked as they helped a certain blonde back into her garment and fasten the sash before Neji could see the state of undress Naruto had been in. The person in question wasn't as unnerved as the other two when Neji stepped in with a few boxes of bento and their host watched apprehensively at Reigi and Kabuto who were gasping with relieve on the floor.

"Welcome back, White-eyes," Naruto greeted with a beam as she felt her son's head leaving her back, where it had rested seconds before when the younger man tried to calm his heart.

"I've brought food for you. Did something happen?" he asked warily, eyeing Kabuto, who had taken to laying his head and chest on the low table, peculiarly.

"Kabuto was giving me a check-up," Naruto answered honestly, standing up and straightening her yukata. "I think they would prefer it if you didn't see my body like they do. I have no qualms regarding this though. It's not like I have anything that you've never seen; I'm pretty sure."

As she said that, Naruto had taken the bento and left for the kitchen, letting Neji stare at her receding backside.

"I'm glad they did," muttered the man, casting a momentary look at the two before following Naruto. "Hokage-sama had already announced your return to a number of the shinobis that will be guarding you starting tomorrow. You will have an official meeting with them in the morning at eight. Please be prepared by then."

Naruto, who had turned to him when he talked, gave a nod before resuming her work of preparing the table.

"That food," Neji began, indicating the bento. "It was cooked by Hinata. She sends her regards."

Naruto turned to him sharply, taken aback by the mention of the name. Their eyes locked for a few seconds before the blonde stared back at the food in her hand and felt tears cloud her vision. With a wavering voice, she asked, "Who else knows I'm back?"

"Lee and Shikamaru. Tsunade-sama has also sent word to Sakura via her backup team," Neji answered. The blonde placed the bento lightly on the table and pulled a chair out so that she could sit down as tears began making their way down her cheeks.

"Thank you," she whispered softly but Neji caught it just before he left the kitchen. He passed the blonde's son and the young doctor, who was unwillingly being pulled by Reigi, as he made his way to his room.

He hadn't intended on making the blonde cry and he hadn't expected her to because the Naruto he knew back then would have jumped up and down happily and wouldn't wait until the next day to see his friends.

But it seems that time had done a great toll on the blonde and Neji could only imagine how much Naruto had gone through to change her into the being she was now. His hands gripped strongly into fists as a certain Uchiha appeared in his mind; the Uchiha that was no doubt the basis of Naruto's major transformation.

"Gah! Naru-kaa-san! Why are you crying?" he heard Reigi shout from the kitchen, already in a state of panic all over again. "What did ji-san do to you?"

It was ironic, Neji thought.

How Naruto's life could be broken by an Uchiha and yet mended by the same blood. The thought made him smile bitterly.

…

The morning of their meeting with the Godaime passed in a flurry of limbs, yells and intense chakra. Apparently the night before, there was a big crash in the west section of the village and a few villagers had even been reported dead. A few witnesses that watched from the sidelines as well as were involved in it were questioned and the Godaime Hokage was alerted of a suspect that was identified by several eye-witnesses to have the ability to control a certain unidentified reptile at will.

When the three were told of this, the first person that appeared in their mind was the father of Reigi. Tsunade, no doubt, thought the same as she had a grave look about her face. They didn't have much time to discuss about the incident as a messenger bird flew into her office, one that was said to be the fastest bird Konoha owned. Tsunade had been called to a sudden meeting with the village elders, meaning she had to put hold the meeting with a few ambassadors of nearby villages until late that afternoon.

That was probably part of how they ended up staying in a house near the Hokage tower so that Naruto could be observed more easily and that their sudden location was only known by a few people, namely the Hokage herself, Shizune and Naruto's assigned guards. The blonde had yet to know, though, who her assigned guards were except for the names Neji had told her the day before.

"Are you sure you should go alone?" Naruto asked fearfully, tugging at Reigi's sleeve.

"I told you, Naru-kaa-san, I'm not going alone," Reigi said, smiling at his mother who uncertainly released his sleeve. "Ji-san is coming with me. Besides, it won't take long. I've only just got to grab our things and there are only little of them. So, don't worry. I'll be fine."

The blonde still looked uncertain as her eyes travelled from her son to the long-haired Hyuuga standing a bit away. With a wavering sigh, she nodded and stared at Reigi's feet in helplessness. The young man smiled before stepping closer to her and planted a soft and slow kiss on her forehead, making her look up. Her cheeks coloured with blood and her heartbeat accelerated as Reigi leaned down and captured her lips. Her head tilted above when she felt signs of Reigi pulling away and the dark-haired man pressed harder, as if rewarding her bold act.

When they pulled away, it was Naruto who took a step back as she pressed her lips together, eyes unable to meet her son's.

"Go," she said to Reigi quietly, taking a few more steps back until she could feel Kabuto standing a bit behind her.

"Take care of Naru-kaa-san," Reigi said seriously, glaring at Kabuto and Kiba, who was there to guard Naruto in Reigi's stead. "If I see one hair out of place…"

Reigi let the word hang in the air as he turned and marched out the door, Neji following closely behind with a nod.

"Man, like father like son, huh?" Kiba said in annoyance, stepping forward to close and lock the door as well as place a seal over it. Naruto shrugged, turning around and tugging onto Kabuto's sleeve to pull him into the general direction of the living room.

"I wouldn't say so," she mumbled in reply. The sigh behind her indicated that Kiba was following them into the living room as well. She released Kabuto's sleeve before taking a seat on one of the stiff looking sofas. "He's more open and friendly if you get to know him better."

"I could sense that but…" Kiba paused, carefully arranging his words while he went to every window and closed them. A seal was placed on each window to prevent entry from outside. Naruto's eyes followed Kabuto who had taken to exploring their new home, starting with the kitchen that was directly connected to the living room, only having a long, marble-surfaced counter dividing it. "It's like he's got the bastard's looks and your personality."

"Well, isn't that better than behaving like Sasuke?" Naruto asked with a small laugh, undoing her ponytail and letting it fall freely down her back. The silence that greeted her made her curiously turn to the dog-lover who was staring at her with an intense and depressed look.

"He did a number on you, didn't he? Sasuke, I mean," Kiba finally said after a short while, his gaze dropping to the green carpeted floor where pale, bare feet shifted uneasily. "I could tell that Godaime-sama only enlightened us with what we needed to know. Not the whole truth."

"It wasn't all that bad," Naruto replied. "He was nice to me before Rei was born and after that, I had a son to take care of and he is good company. It's not like I had much use to him other than because of Rei but I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Kiba started to look furious as he clenched his fists.

"If only we weren't ordered to stop the search," he growled, eyebrows brought down as he glared a hole on the floor. "If only they'd let us search longer before declaring you dead. I bet we could've rescued you from his grasp sooner."

"But things have a funny way of developing and once it turns out in your favour, you don't want it to turn out any other way," Naruto said, a smile reaching her pink lips. Kiba looked at her and his anguish suddenly faded as he returned the smile. "There must be something that's happened to you that wouldn't happen if you'd found me."

Kiba nodded his head, his grin growing larger.

"Wouldn't have met with Ryuoko," he said, sounding somewhat shy. Naruto perked up with interest at the sudden change of expression.

"Who's Ryuoko?"

"My wife," he said, turning away to feign interest with the view outside the window. Naruto leaned forward in curiosity. "Well, at first I considered hitting after Hinata but she had different thoughts about that subject. Although she didn't directly say it to me but she was in a different league than me and she needed to uphold the Hyuuga honour because she is the heir. I kind of thought so but you can't deny she's cute and we knew each other well."

Kiba fidgeted uneasily before running a hand through his hair.

"I met Ryouko during a mission and we hit off pretty well. When I told her about Hinata, she said I shouldn't quit; that I should continue pursuing her," the dog-lover continued to say, unable to hide the happiness in his voice. "I guess I got to know her better after that, with me constantly telling her of my development with an unrequited love, and it just… It took me a good two years before I got around telling her my feelings and we got married four months after that. It was a small celebration but it meant a lot."

Naruto stared, transfixed by the story, as her smile widened.

"How are you two now?" she asked excitedly, straightening her back. Kiba had a stupid grin on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"I have a son who just turned 9 two months ago," the happy father announced, beaming at Naruto as if he was told that he was the luckiest man on earth.

"Wow, congratulations," Naruto said happily.

"It's okay for me but some people just don't have the same luck," Kiba said with a sigh, the grin dropping from his face to be replaced with a frown. The blonde tilted her head slightly in confusion but waited for the brash man to continue. "A while ago, Sakura's fiancé died in a mission. They were supposed to get married at the end of last year but his team was assaulted on their journey back and the few survivors had clarified that he had died in the assault."

Naruto's eyes widened at the news before she turned hastily away from Kiba to her feet. She didn't really like hearing about deaths in missions and it pained her to hear that Sakura, of all people, had to go through all that but she knew the cherry-haired kunoichi was strong. Sakura was probably stronger than her at that point. Taking a deep breath, Naruto looked up and asked, "How did she cope with it?"

The darker-haired male looked surprised at the question and he searched the walls for an answer as his hand rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, I'm not sure. She cried a bit when the news reached her. I'd know since I was the one Godaime sent to inform her," Kiba answered, frowning a bit, as he tried to put his memories into words. "She looked a little out of it the next day and after that she was all smiling and laughing again."

Dark eyes met sky blue and the former shrugged at the unconvinced look the blonde was sending him.

"It seriously was just like that," Kiba said, shrugging again.

"Oh." Naruto offered eyes not meeting the man's as her face remained sceptical. "So, well… How's Iruka-sensei? White-eyes told me he's got two daughters."

"Yeah," Kiba replied, a grin forming on his face again as he folded his arms and leaned on the wall next to a window near the kitchen counters. "Mito and Riyu-chan. Mito will turn 16 next year and Riyu-chan just turned 11. Mito is quite mature for her age seeing as she's the one who has to take all the responsibilities after Yurera-san passed away."

"Yurera-san?"

"Iruka-sensei's deceased wife," Kiba answered with a frown as his eyes slowly trailed the carpet to his own feet. "I figured you wouldn't know her."

"What happened to her?" Naruto asked, her heart sinking at the thought that Iruka's wife had died even before she could've met her. It further reminded her that she missed out on a lot during her time away from Konoha. Everyone seemed to have grown and gone through a lot, just like her.

"She died when the building she was taking shelter in from the storm caved down on her. She was five months along with their third child but neither could be saved," explained Kiba, detaching himself from the wall to turn to the window and watch the activity that happened on the road below them.

"It must've been difficult for Iruka-sensei," Naruto finally said with sadness in her voice. Her face was also downcast, letting fine golden hair curtain messily about her face.

"It was," Kiba answered almost immediately as he spared a short glance to the mourning blonde before looking back out the window. "He looked like a walking corpse after he found out. He wouldn't eat, he couldn't work and yet he didn't cry over her. It went on for near a month before I heard that someone had beaten some sense into him."

"Beaten?" Naruto asked, looking up.

"Yeah, he had a bad bruise on his cheek the next day I saw him but he was okay," Kiba said with a small snigger as he remembered the teacher's bruised cheek, probably from being punched twice. "He smiled and greeted everyone. It was Sakura that told me someone had finally made him move on. It took him some time before he became the Iruka-sensei that we knew but it was progress."

"Who did it?" the blonde asked in wonder, her eyes looking up at the ceiling as if it had the answers.

"Who knows? I only got that piece of information from Sakura," Kiba answered with a shrug of his shoulders. He shifted his weight onto his other foot. "For all I know it could have been her."

"Would she do something like that?" Naruto asked with a small smile before her eyes caught sight of Kabuto making his way quietly into the entrance leading to the hallway. "Kabuto, what are you doing?"

The doctor seemed surprised that his presence had finally been noticed and he turned to her before his eyes went to Kiba, who had also turned away from the window at Naruto's enquiry. His eyes returned back to the blonde's as he answered, "I was just checking out the place and putting up safety jutsus."

"Ah, sorry, I should be the one doing that," Kiba said, making his way across the living room to Kabuto.

"It's not that," the black-haired man said as he stepped a bit away from the hallway entrance. "The safety jutsu I'm putting up is different."

Naruto stood up from the sofa after watching Kiba disappear into the hallway. Kabuto followed closely behind the canine tamer. The blonde watched his back before making her way into the kitchen in search for drinkable water. She opened the refrigerator and stared inside, frowning at the lack of more nourishing food other than the two bottles of mineral water, a carton of milk, two bars of chocolate, a loaf of bread and some cheese. She would need to go out shopping for groceries in a while.

The thought brought a smile to her face as she bent down and pulled out a bottle of water and set it on the counter before looking through the shelves for a glass. The cabinet next to the oven provided her with a variety of glassware and she took one glass from the set of four it had been lined in with.

Kabuto approached her as she was about to uncap the mineral water.

"You can't drink cold water, Naruto," he said as he held out a hand to take the bottle away from her. "You should go sit down and I'll brew some tea."

Kabuto had already walked into the small kitchen before Naruto could say a word and the blonde walked to stand across the counter while watching Kabuto work the kettle and take out a ceramic teapot from the cabinet above the sink. The man then walked to the living room and picked up a small bag he left by the window Kiba had been staring out of just a few moments ago.

The young doctor stepped into the kitchen while he rummaged in his bag and nearly stumbled had he not grabbed the counter to support himself. A few things escaped his bag and dropped onto the floor and the doctor hurriedly placed his bag on the counter and retrieved the fallen objects. The blonde gave a soft laugh at the doctor's clumsiness as the man went back to his work after stashing the objects back into the bag, face aflame with embarrassment.

Naruto was about to comment on being more careful when she noticed the edges of a thick notebook protruding out of the bag. She pulled the bag closer and took out the notebook before looking up at Kabuto. The man was staring curiously at her and just gave a small nod before turning back to brew her tea.

Naruto stared at the muddy brown blank covers and turned it. There was a small writing of her name in black ink on the bottom right-side of the book. It was already blurred with age and the beginning of the katakana for 'Na' was a bit smudged.

Naruto flipped through a random page and saw small and neat handwriting. She ran a finger over the words and skimmed through a little of the side notes.

"What did you write in here?" asked Naruto, flipping through other pages and noticing small diagrams drawn here and there.

"Your health progress," Kabuto answered, not turning to her. "That's the second book."

The blonde looked up and remained her gaze on the man's back until the dark-haired man turned around, having sense her eyes on him. She smiled at him slightly before asking, "How many books are there already?"

Kabuto let out a small breath he didn't realize he was holding and he turned to the cupboard above the sink again to retrieve a few cups. "I'm working on the fifth."

"Your handwriting is so neat," Naruto said, skimming through the book again, her smile still in place.

"You told me already," muttered the man as he went through the cupboards in search of a tray.

"Well, I'm telling you again because it's true," she replied.

Just then, Kiba stepped out of the hallway and walked towards them.

"I think the house is already pretty sealed up for anyone with half a mind to enter," he announced, eyes assessing the activity in the kitchen before it focussed on Kabuto, kneeling by the sink still in pursue of the tray. "The kid here also put up a lot of other traps that I've never seen before."

Naruto beamed proudly for no reason.

"Well, I've got to go run a few errands for Godaime-sama," Kiba said finally, making his way across the living room. "Neji and your son are already near and Shikamaru will drop by with your food and other supplies later on."

"Okay," Naruto said in a small voice. She had hoped that she would be able to do her own grocery shopping. Nevertheless, she pushed away from the counter and walked to the door, watching solemnly at Kiba who was slipping into his sandals. "Take care of yourself. Have a safe trip."

The man shot a nearly incredulous look at the blonde. "Never heard you say that to me before."

She just shrugged and gave a small smile.

"Oh, you're not allowed to step outside unless for fatal reasons and with escorts; the Godaime's orders," Kiba said, earning a pout from Naruto. "ANBU's are guarding around outside and later on Shikamaru and Neji will guard inside."

"I understand," Naruto said with seriousness and Kiba gave a grin before turning away. "Thank you."

The canine shinobi stopped short with a hand on the doorknob as he cast a glance at Naruto before walking out the door. The door shut with a barely audible click and Naruto gave a deep sigh before turning away.

She was just about to pass the coffee table when a sharp knock sounded from the door and Reigi's voice called out, "Naru-kaa-san!"

She practically ran to the door and wrenched it open excitedly. What greeted her though, was a shocked son and an annoyed Neji.

"Naru-kaa-san!" Reigi exploded with exasperation after a second and Naruto had to step back to regain her balance. "You're not supposed to open the door without asking the password first and confirming who it is. That's what the eyepiece is for!"

"Oh, I'll remember that later," Naruto said with an uncertain smile as she backed away from the door to let the two enter. Neji had a deep frown on his face that made Naruto want to sigh and kick him silly. "If it bothers you so much, then tell me the password."

The Hyuuga ignored her as he dropped Kabuto's bag by the wall, making her puff her cheeks childishly. At the sound of the door clicking shut with more force than Kiba had done on it, Naruto turned to her son and offered to take the bags to their room.

Kabuto seemed to appear on cue and told the blonde that she was not to carry heavy objects at this early stage of her pregnancy and promptly released the young Uchiha off of his load. Naruto watched silently as the doctor hauled all their bags to their respective rooms; hers and Reigi's in one room and his in the one near it.

"Kiba said you were near before he left," Naruto asked, taking a seat beside Reigi on the sofa as Neji inspected the house for any possible leak that could jeopardize them. The tea was set on the table and four cups were already filled. She lifted one up and gingerly took a sip before putting it down, outside of the tray. "Did you see him?"

"Yeah," Reigi answered, leaning his back on the sofa as his fingers sought for his mother's hand. Naruto intertwined their hands together but left it to that as she stared at Kabuto emerging from the hallway. It was then that she realized she hadn't had an exploration around the house yet.

Naruto leaned up and whispered into her son's ears, "Hey, let's check the house. I haven't looked around yet."

Reigi gave her a sceptical look that earned him a little swat on his shoulder but he complied all the same.

The hallway was quite wide and an opening to another hallway was at the end of it. Three doors lined across the wall on the right side and two curtained windows on the left. The floor was carpeted the same colour as the living room and the walls were painted yellow. There was no other wall decoration in the hallway except for the Konohagakure symbol carved largely in between the windows. Under it was a small table with a single yellow rose in a slim glass vase in the middle. Naruto made a note to remove the vase later in case Kabuto might crash into it somehow.

The door to the first room was left ajar and Naruto pushed it open, delightedly taking note of how the door didn't creak or squeak, and stepped into the white-carpeted room. The walls were also painted white and the curtains were cream coloured with golden trimming. The bed, wardrobe, drawer and bedside table as well as the table and chairs were dark brown. On the table was a clear rectangular vase with white lilies in it. Their bags were on the floor near the door and Naruto smiled happily at her new room.

"Looks cosy," Reigi said, taking a seat on the bed. It sunk with his weight. "We'll be able to fit in nicely here."

Naruto approached her son and pressed her palm on the bed and tested the softness of the mattress. "I can grow to love this place."

"There are bedside lamps and the room will seem dim if we close the other lights," Reigi said, curling his arm around Naruto's waist before pulling her down on top of him. Naruto let out a small yelp before adjusting her position to get more comfortable and tucking strands of hair behind her ear. "Maybe we'll finally be able to do more exciting things."

The blonde flushed red at what Reigi was implying but entertained the idea as she lowered her head and softly caught the other's lips. She could tell the young man was a bit deprived since they got there with all the things that they did and her emotional flips. Naruto broke the kiss after a few seconds to stare into her son's eyes before kissing again when Reigi leaned up.

After a few more brief kisses that did not involve tongue or a lot of hands, Naruto pulled away completely to sit beside the young man on the bed. Reigi sighed but sat up as well.

"The door is open," Naruto said, brushing away a few hairs that entered her vision. "And we have people around. It's just not the right place and time."

"I think the only thing not right here is the time. The place is perfect," Reigi said with a small grin and Naruto let out a small laugh. She stared at her son, who was staring at the floor thoughtfully, before bringing her hand up and gently caressing the dark locks.

Their eyes met when the dark-haired man turned to her. Like different poles of magnets, their lips found each other again, this time rougher and deeper. They fell back and the positions reversed with Reigi on top and the blonde below him. Smaller hands roamed across the man's sides to rest on his hips and play with the edges of his pants, driving Reigi insane. As revenge, he slid a hand under her shirt and ran a finger up her spine, making Naruto arch her back with a small gasp, successfully rubbing against Reigi's growing erection causing the boy to groan into the kiss.

They broke apart, flushed and aroused before Naruto tugged her son's hips and gave him an open-mouthed kiss that made her even more breathless. She brought her arms up and over the man's neck and deepened their kiss.

A distant sound of someone knocking the door registered in Naruto's hazy mind and she broke the kiss immediately, finally remembering where they were. Reigi groaned in frustration as he felt Naruto slowly push him off.

After straightening their shirts and hair, Naruto stepped out of the room before Reigi and immediately went to the living room where someone new was talking to Neji with his back facing her.

She swallowed nervously, her eyes glancing briefly at the two boxes of supplies on the floor before returning to his broad back.

"Shikamaru?"

-----------------

Cont' A/N: Next year, I'll be free for a whole 3 months before my SPM results come out and another 3 before I'm called somewhere to further my studies. I'm hoping UiTM will take me in.

I'm sorry this chapter is short but I needed to get that explanation out and I promised myself and Shiro-kun that I'd get this chapter out before 2009. This chapter is also not BETA'd because there's just no more time. I'll try to make it longer next time.

Thanks to those who reviewed! I feel fuelled with happiness when someone reviews my stories; not so much with the flames though…

**TasteLikeBlood:** I'm hoping to write Sakura's reaction soon as well. Sorry I couldn't update sooner. **DeityOfDeath:** well, Naruto has yet to meet with them but I'm waiting as well for the right opportunity. **Akirakun17:** Ah! I'm really contemplating the threesome. Oho~ the vessel was explained in this chapter. I hope I explained well. More things will be explained later I guess. **baka_viewer:** I can't wait to see how Sasuke reacts as well. Let's wait together. **hentai18ancilla:** Reigi will get stronger to protect Naru-chan. I love you for loving the idea! **Polish:** You're welcomed to strangle him until foams come out of his mouth. **person:** Well, it's explained a bit in this chapter. I don't think links work well in , so what was your fave manga's title? **Just as** **Wicked:** I was told it was unique as well but I thought it was weird as well. **Insane Blood Prince:** Yay update~

Please continue reading this fic and leave a review.

19


	11. Signs of Spark

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me other than OCs

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, slight SasuNaru

A/N: Hah! It's finally done. I can't believe it's already March! I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it. I'm sorry if there's a lot of mistake. I haven't managed to get it beta'd.

Oedipus Complex

Feshnie

Chapter 11: Signs of Spark

_The wind was blowing lightly outside the large dark framed window, making the leaves scatter around. His blue eyes followed one gently swaying leaf, still fresh from breaking off of its branch, down until it slipped out of his sight._

_His hands played with the fabric of the comforter on his stomach. Even after switching to a new body, the trauma of his first miscarriage was still there. It was no use, he knew that now. If he still owned the memory, he would continue to feel the incident no matter how many bodies he escaped into._

_The heavy double doors of Sasuke's room opened and he turned slowly to see the man walk in, a scroll in his hand. The scroll was casually tossed to the study desk as the man stepped towards him, slowly shedding his layers of clothing. By the time he reached the bed, his upper body was already bare for the bright blue eyes to stare at._

"_Is it still uncomfortable?" Sasuke asked, sitting next to him and running his hand through the delicate blonde locks. "It has already been a week anyway."_

"_I'm not sure, I feel perfectly fine and everything seems to be normal," Naruto answered earnestly. Sasuke placed gentle kisses on his face, from his forehead to the tip of his nose until he reached the pale pink lips. The blonde reached around the man's shoulder and locked his hands behind the Uchiha's neck, deepening their kiss._

"_But?" Sasuke asked after they had separated and he had pushed the offending material covering Naruto away. He continued to kiss along the jaw and down to his neck, where he sucked and lick at Naruto's sensitive spots. The blonde wriggled futilely under him, letting out short gasps of air as cool hands ran down his bare sides._

"_But I – ah! – I feel like my – aa… like my soul is trying to escape m – me!" Naruto managed to say before he buried the side of his face into the pillow, overwhelmed by the feeling of the fingers on his erected penis._

"_It will settle down soon," Sasuke whispered into his ears, the hand playing with the stiff member travelling lower to play with Naruto's puckered hole._

"_Ah! Sasuke, don't you want me to change first?" Naruto asked in a frenzy, twisting away at the sensation of a finger pressing into him._

"_No, I want you like this today," Sasuke said, pressing another finger in, making Naruto gasp with pain._

"_W – why?" the blonde asked, gasping at the feeling of the fingers scissoring in his passage._

"_I will miss you," Sasuke simply answered before kissing him passionately._

…

Shikamaru turned his head to look at her before his body followed. They kept eye contact for a while before Naruto smiled.

"It's hard to recognize you like that," Shikamaru said after a while, eyeing Naruto warily. The blonde's smile faltered instantly. The lazy Nara sighed, picking up the boxes of supply and dumping it on the kitchen counter before signalling them all to approach him. "Take everything out, arrange it and tell me what's missing."

Hearing this, Kabuto reached for a box and ripped off the seal.

"There isn't much food but it'll get you pass the evening," Shikamaru explained, walking past Reigi in order to sit down on the sofa. "More will come tonight."

Naruto just stared as Kabuto took out the shampoo, soap, towels, slippers, toothbrushes, toothpaste, comb, an enhanced aid-kit, a box of fresh underwears, toilet paper, torchlight, emergency candles, sewing kit and a small leather pouch filled with weapons.

"Naa…Shikamaru," the blonde began uncertainly, picking up the underwear box daintily. She turned to see the man looking at her in attention. "Did you…buy all these?"

The look he gave her indicated he did not, indeed, buy the supplies. "Shizune prepared it."

Naruto pursed her lips in annoyance at the man's expression before turning away to inspect the other items. Kabuto was already arranging the things in groups to be brought to its rightful locations while Reigi had reached for the second box and ripped the seal.

"Keep the pouch by your side at all times," Shikamaru suddenly spoke up making her turn her head to him with a questioning face. "Orders from the superior."

Naruto nodded, returning to watch Reigi bring out a few cups of ramen, a few canned seafood, two bottles of water, packets of biscuits, sugar, salt, vinegar, oil, a few seasonings, rice and a jar of peanut butter.

"Eh? Who on earth can cook something with only this?" Naruto commented, inspecting the canned tuna. Kabuto had also begun to stash away the items into the refrigerator and cabinet as Reigi stared at the doctor working in the kitchen with a very preoccupied look about his face.

"I just pulled random things off the shelf," Shikamaru explained lazily, staring out the window.

'So _he_ bought the food,' Naruto thought, internally sighing.

"I thought of just buying ramen," the bored looking man continued. "But then…you were…pregnant."

"That's pretty thoughtful of you," the blonde bit back, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, pushing the tuna to Kabuto who took it and placed it in the refrigerator.

"Like I said, more will come," Shikamaru said, finishing with a tired sigh once again. "Is everything there?"

"I've already written down the other things we need," Kabuto spoke up, waving a piece of paper in the air. Shikamaru finally turned to him, a little taken aback, as if he just noticed the other in the room. Naruto stared in awe at the young doctor because she had not noticed him write down anything before and the list in his hand had quite a number of items on it.

After passing the list to the man, through Naruto and Neji, Shikamaru stood up, collected the boxes and made his way to the door.

"Eh? You're leaving?" Naruto asked, following the other to the door with Neji and Reigi trailing behind her. The light scuffle in the kitchen told her that Kabuto had picked up the objects to put away.

Shikamaru ignored her question as he bent to securely slip into his sandals but gave her a serious look as he straightened up. "The investigation on last night's attack has been a little fruitful so far. There's a list of suspects and Hokage-sama has called for me to get a hold of as much of them."

Naruto's hand unintentionally played with the hem of her shirt as she waited for the man to continue.

"Someone will come later on to replace me," Shikamaru said, before giving a small smirk at the blonde, which resulted in Naruto taking a small step back in bafflement and unease. The genius turned around and opened the door. "It's nice to see you around again, Naruto."

With that, Shikamaru disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving an empty doorway and a happy Naruto.

…

It was not until late afternoon that the young Uchiha spotted the doctor reading his small notebook on the sofa with a pen's cap in his mouth and his hair pulled back in a high ponytail. His mother had been ordered by the man to take a small nap in order to regain her strength and, despite the blonde's squirming and insistent denial of being tired, Naruto had slept like a log since eleven that morning until then.

Reigi had been left to his own device the moment his mother placed her head on a pillow and snuggled under the covers and he was getting wearisome of wondering around aimlessly. He wanted to go out and train or do a few light exercises but Neji had ordered him to remain indoors at all times. He had already gone through every room he could find, even stepping into the small storeroom, and done a lot of activities, minding to take his sweet time in every action. He even did the laundry once he discovered the washing machine and hung them out to dry from the balcony at the end of the second hallway. Neji had reprimanded him for stepping out where he could be seen clearly but he insisted on drying the clothes in the sun and negotiated with the white-eyed man that when it was dry, Neji would have the honour of bringing them inside.

Once he had read all the labels he could find on the food Shikamaru had brought twice, the young man realised that Kabuto had not made a single noise ever since his mother went to nap, successfully making himself unnoticed by the young Uchiha. Reigi felt that this was not fair since it seemed that he was the only one suffering boredom.

That was how he went in search for the man and found him.

Approaching the man from behind, Reigi climbed swiftly over the back of the sofa and slid right next to the doctor, making Kabuto turn in surprise and somehow the force exerted by Reigi had made the notebook bounce out of the man's hands and topple onto the floor along with the pen and its cap.

Spotting an opening, Reigi twisted the man's arm behind his back and pressed him to the sofa as he bent and collected the notebook.

"What are you doing? Let go!" Kabuto shouted, struggling with all his might. Reigi was surprised by the doctor's strength as he very nearly managed to wrench out of his grasp and push away from the sofa had Reigi not turn him onto his back, hold both hands above his head and straddle him in one swift move. The doctor was too shocked by what had happened that he ceased his struggle and just stared, wide-eyed, at the man holding him down.

"Not so tough are you, Kabuto-sensei?" Reigi said with a sneer as he adjusted the hold on the man's wrist so that only one hand held him together while the other picked up the book he had thrown away when Kabuto had struggled. He placed the book on Kabuto's chest and gave a gleeful grin. "Let's see if you really write poems in here."

"Don't read it!" Kabuto warned him to which he happily ignored.

After going through a few pages, the dark midnight brows furrowed down and a frown made its way to his young handsome face. Kabuto shifted a few times to get comfortable but otherwise made no move to stop the young man or escape. He knew that it was wise not to provoke the man into causing him bodily harm even after they had established the boundaries of their surreal 'friendship'. The young Uchiha might have sworn to protect him during dangerous times but Kabuto knew better than to let Reigi remain bored for too long.

Inwardly, he winced and cursed his pathetic life.

…

The room felt cold. Everything felt cold since he returned.

The door opened after a light knock but he didn't bother identifying the person because he could sense who it was. There was no sound of footstep but the man was already standing by his side.

"What news do you have for me?" he asked in a low tone, not bothering to sit up from the bed. There was exasperation in the man's chakra waves but he chose to ignore it. He had no qualms of being open with his sacrificial pawns.

"We have managed to get in contact with the spies in Konohagakure," the man spoke, voice chilly and dead but there was frustration somewhere in it. "As you have predicted, the security around the village has been increased. Shinobis are being called back from their missions and stationed at every possible entranceway in and out of the village."

"How about Naruto?" he asked, cutting the man from continuing his report. "Where is she?"

"With the Hokage," the man replied and there was added frustration in it. "She is placed together with a few of Konoha's elites in an apartment near the Hokage's tower."

"I understand," he replied, emotionless as always. The man shifted before kneeling on one knee by the bed, eyes to the ground. His blood red eyes didn't move to watch the man, not even a twitch. His eyes didn't see much of anything lately anyway because everything seemed dark now.

"Shishou," the man said, finally letting the frustration fully reach his voice. "If you order me to, I will bring back Naruto for you. I cannot stand seeing you like this."

"Then there would be no point in sending her back," he replied, finally rising to sit straight with his eyes turned to the kneeling man before him. "Leave me, Syuruke."

With a nod, the man got to his feet and excused himself. He didn't bother watching as Syuruke silently left the room, closing the door with the briefest hints of a click in its wake.

The wind blew lazily into the room, coming from the open veranda. Damp curtains, the result of leaving the door and window open during the rain, twitched and flowed with the wind. Dark midnight hair grazed his cheeks and neck and he looked up, staring over the veranda railing at the horizon. The sky was filled with dark clouds and the wind was chilly against his cold skin.

Sasuke dropped back down on the bed, on his side, where there was still a faint smell of the blonde and he lightly curled his fingers into the sheet.

The sound of a knock on the door did not startle him.

"Come in," he commanded, remaining still on the bed.

"Shishou," a rather deep voice called in salutation, bowing low before entering the room.

"What news do you have for me?" he asked monotonously.

"I have performed your orders, shishou," the man said, bowing once again. "The preparations are ready. We can move out anytime you wish."

At this, Sasuke stood up and slowly made his way to the veranda, completely ignoring the wetness of the floor as rain began pouring down. He gripped the railing, letting the light rainfall soak him in iciness that matched his heart.

Naruto used to stand at that exact same spot as he observed his son training.

"Shishou?" the man spoke up in curiosity. Sasuke turned to him and regarded him with cold red eyes. The man straightened his back in alert as a cold shiver crawled down his spine.

"Execute the attack on Konohagakure in two days."

…

"This is all about Naru-kaa-san isn't it? Her health status, her diet, her body condition and a hell lot more," Reigi said, his voice in awe before he looked at the man trapped underneath him. "Isn't it?"

Kabuto nodded, shifting his shoulders to get more comfortable. Not that he could achieve much considering the armrest was pressing painfully against his cervical vertebrae. The young Uchiha fell silent as he read a few more pages, passing through most of it.

"Tell me," Reigi ordered, climbing off of the man, making the book topple off of his chest, and pulled him by his arm to make him sit up. He dropped next to the man with a serious face, peering into the dark eyes of Kabuto with full of attention and resolve while the said man looked down at the hand on his arm. Reigi released the arm and forced the man's chin up to look at him. "Tell me about Naru-kaa-san!"

Kabuto slapped the hand away, earning a startled look from the younger man, and placed more distance between the two of them before picking up his notebook.

"It's against a doctor's principle to reveal information about his patient," he finally said, flashing a glare at the younger man. Reigi glared back, making Kabuto falter before turning away. As the doctor made to stand up, Reigi immediately reached out and yanked the doctor's arm down, nearly causing the older man to tumble onto the sofa had he not grabbed for the sofa's back.

The young Uchiha gave another yank and Kabuto slipped, chest-down onto the sofa, the notebook flying into the air again. The doctor let out a pained yelp when Reigi forcefully twisted his arm behind his back and pressed him down. With his other hand, Reigi caught the air-borne book.

"Then I'll study myself," he said, smirking. Kabuto tried glaring from his position but gave up nearly immediately when he saw the smirk widen. Reigi shifted before opening the book to a random page.

The smirk vanished once he noticed that the notebook was empty and the pages looked brand new without even a crinkle.

"It's empty," he breathed out in disbelief, thumbing through the clean pages. He looked down at the doctor and his eyes narrowed at the sight of a small smirk on the doctor's lips. "You cast a ninjutsu just now without a hand seal."

"That would be impossible for me wouldn't it?" Kabuto answered with a sneer in his voice. "Release me now."

Reigi didn't want to but somehow, his body moved and his hand released its hold on the man's arm. The black-haired man pushed himself off and away from the sofa. The younger of the two glared at him but made no move other than to shut the book in his hand.

"I would like my book back," the doctor said in a cold voice, holding a hand out. Reigi looked down at the book and seemed to be contemplating something before he took the doctor's wrist with his free one. Kabuto tried to pull it back but only served to make the young Uchiha tighten his hold.

"Knowing you, this isn't any simple jutsu," Reigi said, eyes trained on the other's dark eyes. He slowly pulled the hand closer and held his grip tighter. An uncertain look crept over Kabuto's face as he tried to pull his hand away but from the determined gaze of the young Uchiha, his body was drawn forward little by little. "But you didn't perform any hand seals. What did you do?"

"I have…" the doctor's words trailed away as Reigi stood up from the sofa, yet still pulling his hand. They were an arm away from each other and somehow Kabuto was drawn into the haunting dark blue eyes of the young Uchiha.

"What? What do you have?" asked Reigi, drawing the shorter man closer and, with the other hand, lightly held the other elbow. Kabuto seemed to snap at the contact and looked away, particularly on a spot on the younger man's shoulder.

"I've no need to tell you about it," Kabuto said, struggling out of the other's grip, annoying Reigi and making him hold the other tighter. "Release me at once!"

"What is wrong with you?" Reigi barked, taking hold of both arms and shaking the man roughly, making Kabuto's glasses slide to the tip of his nose. "I just want to know about my mother! Is that so goddamn hard?!"

"I told you that it's against –"

"Who the hell cares about principles?" Reigi shouted, shaking the man harder, finally making the glasses slip over his nose and to the carpeted floor. Kabuto watched his eyesight lying vulnerable on the floor and became worried.

"Naruto cares," he answered, looking into the angry dark eyes. Reigi's eyes widened slightly. "You know she does."

Silence fell between them as the younger man released his hold on the doctor, enabling the man to pick up his glasses and settle them back onto the bridge of his nose.

"I only want to know what's going on with Naru-kaa-san."

Hesitantly, Kabuto lightly took hold of the dejected looking young man's hand, letting it slip over his fingers until he was only holding the man's pinkie finger, and peered into the man's downcast eyes.

"You don't trust Naruto in my care?"

"Isn't that equivalent to not trusting you," Reigi stated with a humourless laugh, his eyes on the slender pale fingers playing with his pinkie. Silence fell between them as Kabuto disconnected their fingers and stared at him seriously. "Naru-kaa-san trusts you. It's not like I have much choice."

"Then you shouldn't have anything to worry about. She's doing fine and I will inform you if anything goes wrong," said Kabuto, smiling to the other.

"What if it's too late?" Reigi pressed, his voice straining and brows creasing in desperation. "What if it was too late for you to tell me anything? Or what if I do something wrong and it affects Naru-kaa-san? The least you can tell me is what I shouldn't or should do."

Kabuto very nearly smiled at the worried look Reigi was showing him and had to turn around and walk away to hide his giggle. The young Uchiha followed closely behind him like a lost puppy, chewing on his lips out of habit, and Kabuto inwardly laughed at how harmless the man looked now compared to when he had the doctor pinned down on the sofa.

"What are you doing?" asked Reigi, realizing they were heading to the kitchen.

"I'm just going to prepare some tea for Naruto," Kabuto answered, carefully avoiding the counter as he entered the small kitchen. While passing the stove, Kabuto grabbed the kettle and went straight to the sink where he filled it with water and returned it to the stove to be boiled. Reigi carefully peered over the doctor's shoulder to see what the man was doing.

In the midst of checking the inside of a teapot, Kabuto looked uncertainly at the hovering young man. Reigi returned the look with his own curious one.

"Continue," Reigi prompted after staring at each other for more than three seconds. "I just want to know how you do the tea so I can do one for Naru-kaa-san in the future."

"You've never prepared tea before?"

Reigi innocently nodded, stepping to the side so that he was shoulder to shoulder with the older man.

"I can learn just by looking once," Reigi said with a shrug, his eyes intently looking at the empty teapot as if something would suddenly jump out and run amok.

"Well, it is fairly easy," Kabuto mumble, more to himself than to the other.

The doctor reached above him and produced a cylindrical bottle filled with dry tea leaves. Reigi continued to stare as Kabuto uncapped the lid and shook a few of it into the teapot.

"Where did you get this from?" asked Reigi, taking the bottle and observed the dry leaves inside. "I don't remember it being in the box with the supplies Shikamaru-san had hauled over."

"It wasn't in there. That was given by the Godaime early this morning at my request," Kabuto said, leaning against the counter, eyes on the kettle. Reigi placed it next to the teapot and stared expectantly at the man. Noticing eyes on him, the older man turned to the sharingan holder.

"Well? What next, Kabuto-sensei?"

"We wait for the water to boil," Kabuto replied with a shrug, his head tilted to indicate the kettle. Reigi nodded in comprehension before planting both palms on the counter behind him and hauling himself up.

They waited in silence for nearly thirty seconds.

"How did you get to know Naru-kaa-san?" Reigi asked, his head tilted slightly and his body forward to stare at the black-haired man. The question startled Kabuto a bit for being so sudden and out of the blue but he considered an answer anyway.

"When I was small, Sasuke-sama rescued me from being crushed by a cave that I took refuge in. In that incident, I somehow permanently lost my memory and my belongings were trapped under the rubbles of the cave. No one knew who I was and where I belonged to so I was sent to an orphanage. I was only about six then so it was alright for me to start over."

Reigi noticed a bitter smile on the doctor's pale face as he reminisced.

"A few months later, Hishizawa Rou, a medic-nin, took me in at Sasuke's order and I learnt who my father was."

"Who?" Reigi asked, leaning forward a bit more.

"Yakushi Kabuto, Orochimaru's right-hand man."

"Kabuto? Isn't that also –"

"Yes. Sasuke-sama was the one who suggested that name after Hishizawa-sensei took me under his wings."

"How'd they know who your father was?" Reigi continued to ask.

"Sasuke-sama had ordered his men to scour that place for a few of their 'rats' and perhaps some body to experiment on. Some of my belongings had been dug up from the rubble and in it was a letter from my mother addressed to Yakushi Kabuto telling about the son that he probably didn't know existed."

He had our DNA's checked and it was a match. That was how I came to be regarded as a probable genius boy because of my genetics. Sasuke-sama had spotted a need for a person like me and that was why he had me trained under Hishizawa-sensei; so that I could work under him when the time comes."

Reigi felt anger at his father for the selfishness that he had committed before he heard a light laugh come from the doctor. Kabuto tilted his head back to stare at the top of the cabinet as a smile played on his lips.

"The first time I saw Naruto was on a day Hishizawa-sensei decided to leave me at home for the first time," continued Kabuto. "That time, I loathed Sasuke-sama very much because of the things I learnt that he did. You could say I was quite a kid of justice when I was small."

Reigi raised an eyebrow at how Kabuto was laughing so nostalgically at something he remembered.

"Naruto was an unexpected guest there and I jumped to the conclusion that Naruto was in league with Sasuke-sama. She had short hair that time and was thin and looked quite unhealthy but she still seemed vigorous in her actions. She scared me at first with her sudden outburst but…"

The words that trailed away made Reigi, who had cast his eyes to the floor somewhere between the explanations, look up and meet with cobalt eyes.

"At one point, when she walked towards me, she looked like a dissatisfied angel and I was completely ensnared by that look. Now that I think about it, it might have been the lighting but ever since that day, I was always counting days until I could see her again."

Reigi brooded over the information as they lapsed into silence. The sound of water in boiling was the only thing that filled their ears but neither was concentrating on it.

"So, you're saying," Reigi began before licking his dry lips. "That you've liked Naru-kaa-san since you were small?"

Kabuto shifted and turned his head away from the younger man. "You can say that."

The kettle chose that time to emit a sharp shrill and the young doctor quickly pushed away from the counter to tend to the noisy appliance. Reigi didn't move from his position on the counter as he observed the process of tea-making silently. Once the teapot lid was fitted into its destined hole, Kabuto searched through the lower cabinets for a tray and two cups. The teapot was placed on the tray alongside the cups and a packet of biscuits was taken out to be eaten with the tea.

"Why do you know how to do all these?" Reigi asked curiously, staring at the doctor as he pulled out the sugar and searched the kitchen for something sharp. "I mean, in the mansion all you had to concentrate on was researching right? Food should logically be prepared for you, right? Then how come you know how to do this? Even before, you did the tea and arranged the stuff Shikamaru-san brought over and even whip out a list as if you do it often. Living with Neji-ji-san, you helped prepare the table and even helped clean up. You even manage well with the appliances and seem to know where everything is. I had a hard time with the washing machine, just so you know…and it was a machine!"

"Well…" Kabuto hesitated, pulling out a bowl and a knife. "The preferable answer would be logical thinking but in truth, I do stuff like these in my youth while I was studying under Hishizawa-sensei. The man has a certain lack of luck with devices and cutlery and he worked me like a butler on a few occasions."

Sugar was poured into the bowl and Kabuto produced a teaspoon from a drawer near the sink. Reigi watched carefully as two scoops of sugar was deposited into one of the cups before tea was filled into it.

"My skills are lacking though," Kabuto added with a frown as he stirred the cup with the same spoon.

Suddenly, he looked at the younger boy in fear, causing Reigi to get alarmed.

"What are _we_ going to have for dinner?"

…

Kabuto vaguely noticed that the glass vase on the small table between the windows was missing as he made his way into the white-painted room. Reigi was already there, rousing his mother awake while Neji was sitting on a chair at the table, having watch over the blonde the whole time she was asleep.

"What's the time?" asked Naruto, slowly rising from the bed with the help of Reigi who supported most of her weight. Reigi chose to whisper the answer into her ear and the blonde gave a small groan, leaning to his chest and probably dozing off again. Reigi looked giddy at his mother's clinginess but nevertheless whispered things into his mother's ears that slowly but surely made the blonde more awake.

Kabuto placed the tray with the two cups of tea on the dark brown table and watched as Reigi eased a sleepy Naruto into her seat.

"It might taste a bit bitter than the usual one we have but this is good for your body. Neji-san, you should have some too."

Naruto nodded slowly, almost looking thoughtful before her head dipped forward, followed by her body until Reigi grabbed her by the shoulders in panic, for fear that she would hit her head on the table. The young Uchiha bent down on one knee to peer at his tired mother's face and Naruto leaned low, making her blonde hair curtain her face, to whisper something to her son. Kabuto approached the two closer, worried that Naruto was feeling unwell. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Neji approaching them.

"Naa, Kabuto," Naruto called out when she noticed him. The doctor also leaned down on one knee beside Reigi to listen to the blonde. Pale fingers with naturally pink nails pressed against her forehead, somehow pulling a few strands of her hair with her. "My head hurts a bit and my eyes feel heavy."

"It's only natural," Kabuto said, standing up and pulling the cup closer to her. "Drink this. You should feel a bit better."

Naruto took the cup into her hands and it trembled in her grasp. She quickly guided it to her lips and gave an exemplary sip. Quickly, she placed the cup onto the table, spilling some of its contents, and pressed a palm on her lips while moaning angrily.

"Ah, is it too hot? Did you burn your tongue?" Reigi asked worriedly, gripping his mother's knee as he caressed her cheek lightly with his other one. Naruto nodded, her eyes squeezed shut in pain before one eye cracked open to look at her son. She gave a small shrug and removed her hand.

"Sorry, I drank without thinking," Naruto said with a light giggle, looking at Kabuto to assure the man. "But it helped me to wake up more."

"You should wait a while for it to cool down," Kabuto said, standing up and making his way to the tray to pass Neji's cup to the man. Neji accepted it with a stiff nod and Kabuto left the room with the tray after setting the plate of biscuits on the table.

As he left, he could hear Reigi offering to blow Naruto's tea. His black eyes travelled to the clock hanging in the living room.

It read 4:35

…

"Who could it be?" Neji's voice grew serious and low. Reigi immediately stood in front of his mother while Kabuto scanned the surrounding, a shuriken already at hand. Pale white eyes regarded sky blue with admonition and the blonde braced herself with a small scowl. There was tense silence as Neji stepped towards the door, kunai at the ready.

There was another knock and a few disgruntled mumbles from behind the door before an angry voice shouted at them, "The hell is taking you people so damn long to open a stupid ass door!!"

Naruto gave a startled jump at the voice while Kabuto and Reigi relaxed their posture with a disbelief face.

"Procedures Hokage-sama," Neji said, still not opening the door. "And the password?"

"Yaro neko," the mumble came from beyond the door and Neji performed a few hand seals before taking hold of the metallic doorknob. "Who the hell came up with such a stupid password anyway?"

"Wouldn't that be you?" Naruto mumbled under her breath as the door slid open and the blonde woman stormed in, a near visible angry vein on her forehead. She was about to turn away and have a seat on the sofa when her eyes caught sight of another man following in, more politely than the former. She felt her body turn slack and numb at the same time as her legs led her towards the man.

The man looked at the occupants of the room, first Neji, and then Reigi until he finally saw the smaller blonde making her way to him with such a strong emotion on her face that he was worried she might cry.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto called out as she neared him and practically threw her arms around the man's shoulder. Iruka was startled for a while before a warm look seeped into his wrinkled face.

"Hey, Naruto. Haven't seen for quite sometime," Iruka said, patting her pale hair affectionately to which she replied with a broken sob. "You got into trouble again. I guess it can't be helped after all since it's your nature."

Naruto couldn't retort as her chest tightened and her stomach fluttered painfully. Hot tears ran down her cheeks uncontrollably and she dug her nails into his vest, holding the man tighter to her. Warm arms rubbed her back and the other on her head as she started to sob, her petite body wrecking with the longing she had suppressed for more than 18 years.

"I – I'm b – back, Iruka-sensei," she managed to speak before crying harder.

"Welcome back," Iruka softly replied to her. They spent a few minutes standing like that with the teacher constantly rubbing at his eyes to avoid tears from appearing before Iruka gently grasped her shoulders and Naruto untangled herself from the man, her face bowed low to the ground as she furiously rubbed her eyes.

It took a few more seconds before Tsunade let out a deliberately long and loud sigh to gather their attention and everyone averted their eyes on the Godaime sitting with her legs crossed on the sofa.

"Let's get down to business," her serious voice commanded for everyone's attention and the teacher and his student took a seat on the sofa facing the older woman. "Today, several suspects were taken in and questioned. We're still doing the questioning but I have a strong hunch that the culprit has already fled from Konoha."

Naruto caught her son's eyes for a second before she turned back to the Hokage.

"There should still be spies," Kabuto spoke up from his position, leaning against the armrest that Reigi and Neji were occupying.

"We've contemplated the possibility of that and I have the ANBU checking this as we speak. I've had everyone be on their guard and regularly scouting within this border. A special force is taking care of things outside. Sand village are readying their men in case we need back-up."

"Sand village – Gaara…" Naruto mumbled under her breath, finally remembering about the man she was close acquainted with in her youth. "He's still kazekage, isn't he?"

Tsunade was a bit startled at the interruption but gave a small quirk of her lips. "Yup, he's doing fine. He nearly came here the moment he got notice of your return but a lot of people opposed the idea of their kazekage blindly walking out of their village so he had to postpone seeing you until the right time."

Naruto breathed out a relieved sigh that she hadn't realized she was holding. "I'd like to meet up with him too. It's been a really long time. I wonder how he's holding up now…"

"You'll be able to see him soon. More importantly, we need to discuss your living conditions," Tsunade said, crossing her arms over her large breasts. Naruto and Reigi shared another look.

"Living conditions?" Naruto asked carefully, a foreboding feeling momentarily pass her. "What's wrong with our living condition?"

"Well, we can't let you stay at one place for too long, he might have already set his eyes on this place," Tsunade explained, giving the living room a light scan before turning back to feminine sky blue eyes. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Kabuto nod thoughtfully. "If it's achievable, you will be moving around at random intervals of times and at random places so that it is impossible to distinguish any possible patterns. This is still under consideration because of the recent attack but I will try to disclose information as soon as things sort out."

Naruto gave a nod to show that she understood.

"However," the older woman continued, a graver tone seeping in her words that made them all straighten in alert. "I have reasons to believe you've already been found out. I need you to be alert at all times and avoid doing stupid things."

"Stupid? Like what?" Naruto asked, her eyebrows lowered, oddly feeling insulted.

"Like going out to do the laundry!" Tsunade shot, head sharply turning to the young Uchiha who visibly flinched at the murderous glare the Godaime was shooting.

"Huh?" was all Naruto could say as she too turned to her son.

"You stupid brat! Are you trying to risk Naruto's life by giving yourself out? It was broad daylight and on a fucking damn balcony!" she continued to shout, brandishing her fist at him with a glare that made Reigi's skin crawl. Her deafening voice carried around the room as if she was using a microphone turned on to the loudest volume, a sound that pounded on his eardrums and he unconsciously cowered, his hand itching to cover his ears. "This is the sixth level for crying out loud! People from the other side of the border could have seen your skinny ass walk so goddamn leisurely! What do you have to say for yourself, you useless runt!"

Naruto could see an angry vein appear on Reigi's forehead as he stood up angrily, planting one foot on the coffee table as he gave the Uzumaki glare that he had somehow picked up out of no where.

"You're going too far with that, you old hag!" Reigi replied crossly. Naruto was surprised at how Reigi reminded her of a certain youth that she had long left. "I'm no more useless to her than you are!"

"What did you say, damn brat?" Tsunade bellowed, looking ready to overturn the coffee table. Iruka stood up at that moment, fearing something bad might just ensue out of their shouting.

"Godaime-sama, please calm down," Iruka pleaded, taking hold of the fisted hand and tugging it down. "I seriously think even the heavens heard your voice just now."

"What did Reigi do?" Naruto asked tentatively, hoping that Tsunade wouldn't start shouting again as she saw Kabuto tug her son back down out of the corners of her eyes.

"The idiot brat hung the laundry out in the balcony without any kind of concealment," Tsunade said in a controlled voice, her arms folding over her chest again. Naruto turned to her son for confirmation and saw that Reigi was looking away with an irritated and guilty face. "Shizune nearly got a heart attack when she spotted the damn brat on the balcony. She nearly spit tea all over my papers."

"Wasn't that you?" Iruka said in a low voice. Tsunade gave a short fake cough to cover her embarrassment.

"Anyway, I can't stay long," Tsunade said, getting up from her seat. "I still have a lot of things to do and Shizune will think I've run away again if I stay any longer."

"Ah? Already?" Naruto asked, startled before turning to Iruka and taking hold of his forearm. "Are you going as well?"

There was sadness and shock in her voice as if she had been slapped by Reigi for an unreasonable mistake while she watched her former sensei with panic, the previous tears welling up again. Reigi twitched at the contact and Kabuto nearly gave out an exasperated sigh at the man's predictable reaction. Just minutes ago he was glaring daggers at Iruka because the two were hugging and he had a faint suspicion that the dark aura the nineteen-year-old emitted was what drove Iruka to dislodge Naruto.

"I'm guarding you tonight," said Iruka affectionately and Naruto, happier than a kid who celebrated Christmas twelve times in a row, hugged him tightly around the waist, much like a child after being complimented by their mother. "It was a special request by someone and paid in advance as well. Not that I minded of course."

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto wailed happily, tightening her hold. Kabuto edged slightly away from her son, who was filled with an intense murderous aura that the young doctor was impressed at how the pair had yet to notice. Neji, who was never a fan of such display of affection, quietly walked the Godaime to the door.

As Tsunade was stepping into her shoes, a knock came. The activities in the house immediately halted and they gathered together at the small hallway, all eyes watching the door intently as light shuffling emitted from the other side.

"Um, what was the password again?" a female voice asked and Naruto was hit by how familiar it sounded.

"It's yaro neko," another female voice replied, tapping the door. "Yaro neko!"

Tsunade performed quick hand seals and wrenched the door open, startling the two. Naruto peered curiously from behind Iruka at the new faces before giving a delighted gasp.

"Ah, Hokage-sama!" A blonde woman with a long ponytail said, backing away slightly. Next to her was a dark haired woman and eyes similar to Neji with her long hair flowing freely behind her back. In her arms were a few boxes wrapped in napkins that everyone hoped contained food.

"Don't just go about shouting the password as you like," hissed Tsunade, stepping out. The two women gave a curt bow before the Godaime shooed them inside. Just as she was about to close the door, she whispered urgently, "It's kagami hito now. Take note."

They all nodded, faces set in a serious expression as the door closed. Neji immediately stepped between the two ladies and sealed it with a few quick hand seals. The blonde, Ino, gave an annoyed look at the man's back but otherwise said nothing as she took off her shoes. Hinata, on the other hand, had spotted Naruto and was showing a very awed face.

"Naruto…" Hinata called softly, her eyes warm and gentle as they took in her former crush. The person in question fidgeted slightly at the attention she had suddenly received, unknowingly forming a light blush on her pale cheeks.

"Oh ho! Naruto, I heard it from Hokage-sama but now that I'm seeing it before my eyes, I can finally believe it!" Ino loudly interjected, hands on her hips and a creepy smile on her lips.

"Before you begin your idle chat, we should first move out of this cramped space," Neji cut in before the referred blonde could reply, his voice sounding quite bitter in Naruto's ears. With a few nods, they all made their way into the living room and Hinata continued further towards the kitchen to prepare their dinner. Seeing this, Kabuto followed closely to assist her to which she tried to refused, her face slightly red from shyness.

"Hinata hasn't changed much," Naruto said with a relieved voice, her eyes happily watching the two assemble the food. Ino gave a light snort before turning devious eyes in her direction.

"You somehow haven't learned that something like that shouldn't be said to a woman," she said, lightly waving her index finger in the air. "I figured you'd at least know this since you are currently one."

"Is that so?" Naruto deadpanned, taking a seat next to Iruka on the sofa while Ino occupied the one Tsunade had been in previously. Reigi, not really liking the seating arrangement, joined Hinata and Kabuto in the kitchen while Neji made his usual inspection around the house.

"It's not permanent anyway, right Naruto?" Iruka said in her defense. Naruto nodded eagerly, somehow making Ino frown at her enthusiasm. "No one is obliged to know about trivial things such as that, woman or not."

"If you say so. Oh yeah!" Ino's pale blue eyes swept the room and landed on one of the occupants in the kitchen. "Is that your son? Reigi, was it?"

Naruto tried not to feel troubled at the slight gossipy voice Ino was asking her in.

"W – which one?" she asked, turning to the three.

"Is it that one with the glasses?" Ino asked excitedly, edging from her seat slightly.

"Oh, that's not him. Reigi's the one next to him," Naruto answered, pointing to her son. "The one with the glasses is Kabuto."

"Ka – Kabuto?" Ino asked, shock in her voice. "But isn't he with Orochimaru? Wasn't he already dead?"

"Ah, I figured you'd make that kind of connection," Naruto said with a light smile, scratching the back of her neck. "You see, that Kabuto is already dead. This Kabuto isn't that Kabuto. They share the same name it seems."

Ino let out a relieved sigh before turning to openly stare at the three. "If that's so then it is ok I guess. A name doesn't really make a person."

"This Kabuto is that Kabuto's son though. I thought you ought to know," Naruto mentioned offhandedly, pressing her back to the sofa more comfortably.

"Then they're from the same blood! He's a danger to you!" Ino blurted out, hovering slightly from her seat, both palms planted harshly into the armrest. The three in the kitchen turned their heads to the source of the outburst, clearly startled. Naruto regarded her with cool unwavering eyes.

"He grew up by my side and never met his father when he was alive," the unperturbed blonde replied. "I have faith in him and I have his word."

"If – If you say so," Ino said, ungraciously flopping into her seat, defeated. Her half-lidded eyes turned back to the bespectacled man and surveyed his smooth movements before her lips twitched to a light smirk. "He has a decent enough face to score with the ladies."

"Eh?" Naruto was a bit perplexed at the change of topics and took a few minutes to let the word register into her brain.

"Ino, I don't think that's a very appropriate way to regard him in," Iruka said, shaking his head lightly.

"Ah! You mean to say you think he's handsome!" Naruto exclaimed, happy that she had figured it out before the word finally sunk in. Reigi sauntered to his mother, after managing to spill some of the gravy that was brought and feeling Kabuto release a troublesome aura. "Eeeh?!"

"Don't you get weird ideas!" Ino said in defence, folding her arms and glared. "I just meant that he can get any girl to like him with that face."

"Ah…I never thought of that before," Naruto said, seriously pondering over the fact. She hadn't thought of it like that.

As far as she knew, Kabuto had a decent enough face that everyone would be comfortable enough to befriend him. She normally didn't put labels like handsome, attractive, hideous or bland to the faces that she saw everyday. In their profession, most faces were eccentric and didn't really belong in one group all by themselves. They often wore masks or strange devices to further enhance their ninja techniques and some also had battle scars. The most important thing for everyone was identifying the symbol on the headband of the ninjas they meet. The decency of ones face never mattered on how good it looked but rather how functional it was to them or the enemy; it felt like that in Naruto's perspective.

"It's no use anyway," Reigi interrupted loudly, sitting on the armrest on Naruto's side. "Kabuto-sensei has already set his eyes on someone and he's damn loyal about it."

All eyes turned to him, even the ones in the kitchen before the sound of glass breaking resounded in the room.

"Are you okay?" Hinata asked worriedly to Kabuto, who had accidentally knocked a glass off the counter in his fluster. Reigi felt the sides of his lips twitch in amusement at the panicked and pale face of the young doctor.

"I – I'm alright," Kabuto said, casting a pleading look at the Uchiha heir as he grabbed a napkin and disappeared behind the counter to clean up the mess. "Careful where you step, Hinata-san."

"Do you need help, Kabuto?" Naruto asked, already rising from her seat. The sound of glass shards clinking together could be heard before Kabuto emerged from behind the counter, his face a light pink.

"It's okay, Naruto," he answered in a low voice, his eyes searching the prodigy's before he knelt back down to complete his job. Hinata hovered uncertainly behind him.

"Is something going on between you and Kabuto, Rei?" Naruto whispered to her son, tugging the man by his sleeve. Reigi didn't expect a question like that from his mother so he was slightly taken-aback by the light accusation.

"Why? Are you jealous, Naru-kaa-san?" Reigi teased after a while, sending her a sneaky grin.

"Eh? I'm not! I was just curious since he seems to try and catch your attention just now," Naruto said almost immediately, light pink colouring her whiskered cheeks. The grip that was placed on the younger man's sleeve tightened and he felt another yank pulling him closer to Naruto. "It's not like I thought about it before but now that you've mention it, you seem to be closer to Kabuto then I am at the moment."

A few glasses clattered loudly on the counter as Kabuto accidentally elbowed them because of what the blonde had said making the female Hyuuga standing next to him let out a worried cry. Reigi was feeling uneasy as well.

"It's not what you think, Naruto!" Kabuto cried out with exasperation.

Out of the corners of his eyes, Reigi could see the person called Ino looking at him curiously and he could feel Iruka's eyes bore on him questioningly. Now that he thought about it, he could finally see the truth of the accusation but it wasn't like what his mother was thinking. Absolutely not!

"Na – Naru-kaa-san, wasn't it you who had asked me to be nicer to him?" Reigi asked in a low voice, leaning lower so that the others won't catch what he was saying. If he had thought about it more deeply, Reigi would have realized that it was futile anyway since they were all trained ninjas with sharp hearing.

"I did but I wasn't expecting immediate effects," Naruto replied, staring up at him innocently making the young Uchiha's heart race. "It's nice that you've opened up to him though."

"I – I didn't open up to him!" Reigi denied, placing a hand on the small shoulder. The blonde continued to stare up at him. "It's just mutual understanding. Besides, Naru-kaa-san…"

Reigi leaned down and lightly pressed his lips to Naruto, which received a few shocked gasps and Kabuto turning away.

"– you're the only one I love."

It made Naruto blush heavily.

"I – I know that! I was just curious, that's all. Kabuto is like a son to me anyway."

Kabuto excused himself before stepped towards the bathroom. Strangely, his chest felt tight and his eyes burned.

…

"Ah! Nee-san! Give it back!" A girl, scarcely the age of eleven, shouted at her sister as she extended her arm to snatch the paper held above her.

"What's this? A loveletter for that brat in team 6?" her sister asked a smirk on her lips as she danced around with the paper held above her head.

"It – It's not!" the younger girl denied, trying to wrestle the paper back from her sister.

"Maa maa, what's this? Sisters shouldn't fight among themselves," a new voice said from the window, making the two girls stop to look at the intruder. "Ne, Mito-san, Riyu-chan."

"Ah! Kakashi-jii! Didn't father tell you not to come in through the window again!" the older of the two, Mito, said angrily, tossing the paper on the table. Riyu lunged for it and hurriedly stashed it in her bag.

"I knocked but no one answered. It seems the paper was more important than a guest," Kakashi answered, sliding into the house as if it was his.

"Ah, I'm sorry," Mito apologized with a small bow. "Father isn't here at the moment."

"I know," the copy-nin said. "That's why I came."

"I don't understand," the older girl said uncertainly as she grabbed for an empty mug and poured tea for the man.

"You of all people must have noticed the kind of security Konoha is using at the moment," Kakashi said with an expectant glint in his eyes. Mito nodded, handing him the cup of warm tea to which he thanked her.

"What happened?" Mito asked.

"That person has returned," Kakashi said, his voice almost nostalgic. Mito's eyes widened before an excited expression came to her. "That's why I had asked that your father be sent to be with that person for a while."

"Father must be so happy at the moment," Mito said before turning to her little sister. "Did you hear that, Riyu-chan? That person father was waiting for has finally returned! We might be able to meet him!"

"That person? Is it the onii-san in father's picture?" Riyu asked, getting excited. When Kakashi nodded, she squealed happily.

"But I don't get it, Kakashi-jii," Mito said, turning back to the man. "What does it have to do with the tight security?"

"It's because my other student is returning. In two days in fact."

-----------------------------------

A/N: Next chapter: Konoha gets attacked! No, that's not the title of the next chapter. A lot of random things happen but it's important for the plot! Please bear with me.

I'm sorry if there are many spelling or grammar mistakes. I don't have any beta at the moment; it's worrying me. I did a bit of Beta surfing yesterday but I'm not sure anyone would want to beta this story now that it has progressed to the eleventh chapter.

What should I do?

Oh, are any of my OCs Mary-Sues? This has been bugging me.

Thank you to those who reviewed! I really appreciate it. Please continue reading in the future.


	12. New Turmoil

Disclaimer: as usual goes…

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg and slash

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, KabuNaru slight SasuNaru

A/N: As usual, I tried my best, I've got no BETA so if you see any silly mistakes, forgive me for I am just human.  
KakaIru?

Oedipus Complex

Feshnie

Chapter 12: New Turmoil

_The air was thick with the smell of medication and a weak beeping sound echoed eerily in the room. The hum of the machine filled his moments of silence as he capped a bottle of pills by the bed. His movements were slow as if he was tired but the truth was he wanted to remain there longer, just so he could watch over the fragile being resting on the bed. The feeling of piercing eyes on him made a shiver run down his spine so he quickened his actions and completed the job tidily; making sure nothing was out of place before stepping away from the bedside drawer._

"_I'm done, Souga-sensei," he said in a low tone, his face to the ground._

_The sound of glasses lightly clattering on the table made him look up._

"_I'll leave the rest to you," the man said in a rough order, standing up and leaving the room. His black eyes followed the aged man until he left the room._

_Souga-sensei was slowly dying from a curse, so Sasuke-sama needed another person to stand in his stead as the blonde's doctor after the man passed away. In the beginning, he was as bewildered as the others when Sasuke had announced that he, a mere child, would take the aging doctor's place. It was inevitable that everyone looked down on him because, aside from his unbecoming height, he came from a shady background and he did not meet the intelligence level of his late father. He had done a lot of thinking over this matter as well but couldn't think of a proper, believable reason for a person like Sasuke to choose a boy like him_

_A small whine sounded from the bed and he turned worriedly at the blonde but the light shuffling stopped as Naruto managed to settle back in his dreamless sleep._

_He gave a relieved sigh before beginning to clear up the room as best as he could. Rain was threatening to pour again so he had contemplated about asking the maids to bring more cover for the blond. A heater had been his first suggestion but he didn't want to close the window or the sliding doors. The promise of fixing the ventilation system had to be postponed until after the rainy season because of a few places that needed a thorough renovation. Moving the blonde to another room was out of the question since his strength seems to lie there with the memories of the son that had suddenly despised him._

_Speaking of the son…_

_Kabuto stepped next to the window and observed the training ground. No movements met his eyes. The many rumours and gossips that had been floating around suggested that Reigi was also doing poorly in his training and was always too quick to lose his temper._

_He snorted._

_Such a mindless child like Reigi would never be able to care for his beloved Naruto anyway._

_Black eyes turned to the slumbering blond on the bed and his heart clenched at the pitiful state Reigi had forced Naruto into. _

_The moment Sasuke's messenger had arrived at Hishizawa-sensei's doorstep ordering for him to serve under the powerful Uchiha, he had been filled with only thoughts of being able to spend time with Naruto. His heart broke at the sight of the despairing blond but he pulled himself together and did his best to make him more comfortable._

_In his heart, Kabuto held only resentment towards Reigi for a multitude of things._

…

After eating dinner, Ino and Hinata had left with the promise of bringing breakfast the next day. In an attempt to settle down for the night, with the exception of Naruto, everyone was assigned to guard at equal intervals of time with Iruka and Kabuto half of the night and Neji and Reigi the other half till morning. The blonde was against the arrangement at first since she was not in it and felt it wasn't fair that the others were doing all the work but Kabuto had reminded her that her body condition was still too weak to sustain the baby without enough rest.

With a little hustle, Naruto was placed under the covers and left to sleep in her son's warm embrace.

Kabuto saw Reigi flash him a happy grin when he closed the door to their room and he felt his stomach drop. A sigh was itching to be released but he lightly snorted instead, always keeping his mood in check for the sake of professionalism.

"Has Naruto already slept?" Iruka's warm voice asked from one end of the hallway. The young doctor couldn't help but return it with his own smile as he nodded. "Neji is resting in the last room so that he can keep guard of the back entrance."

Kabuto nodded once more before making his way silently into the living room. Iruka stepped forward to walk side by side with the man.

"Your relationship with Naruto seems to run much deeper than what it seems," Iruka said, startling the younger man.

"What do you mean by that?" Kabuto asked, halting in his steps.

"Unlike the others, Hokage-sama did not bother to keep me in the dark about anything regarding Naruto," Iruka begin, slipping to the side so that he could rest against the back of the sofa. "The miscarriage, the soul switching jutsu, the true inheritance of the baby residing in her now; I know about all those. She made sure to inform me about everything."

"What do you intend to do with the information?" Kabuto asked in a threatening voice, shifting slightly to take a defensive stance but nearly faltered when his actions were returned with light laughter.

"Please don't take me wrong," the former schoolteacher said with a smile, somehow making the doctor more cautious. "I'm serious; I would never do anything to harm her. Rather, I would like to make her life easier now."

Kabuto kept silent for a while, his mind occupied with the pros and cons of the situation. Nevertheless, he dropped his stance in the end.

"She mentions about you constantly while we were at the mansion," the younger man began, averting his eyes elsewhere. "So, I know what kind of person you are to her and if you are anything like the you that Naruto grew up with, I am definite that you have no inclination in letting her suffer anymore than she is now."

"Time has a funny way of changing things," the man replied, making Kabuto stiffen. "Please do not take that as an insinuation that I am not the man I used to be. Naruto is still an important figure in my life, now more than ever."

Iruka shifted his weight to his other foot and crossed his arms.

"Now that I hope I have gained your confidence, I would like to turn your attention to another subject that has been playing on my mind since this evening," Iruka said, the seriousness seeping into his voice even though the smile was still on his lips. Kabuto took in the somewhat defensive posture the man was holding but didn't question more as he curtly nodded for the man to continue. "What is Naruto to you?"

It wasn't an issue the doctor had expected but he didn't question the motive. This man was the man Naruto had looked up to as an important parental figure in her youth and it was already apparent that the man saw Naruto in the same light. If anything, the question should have been brought forth much earlier.

"Do you accept the answer being 'just a patient'?" Kabuto ventured, tilting his head slightly, making his black side bangs brush his cheeks. Faintly, the smile on the older man's lips became grim.

"It would look that way to everyone but I would rather know the truth," Iruka bit back, his voice growing darker. Kabuto took this as a sign of his defeat.

"My first love," he answered after a while, taking the dark-skinned man by surprise.

"Is she aware of this?" Iruka asked worriedly, pushing away from the sofa. Kabuto had to bite back a sarcastic reply.

"No, she isn't," he replied shortly, stepping away from the man to head for the curtained window. A thin string of moonlight splayed over the green carpet through the gap the curtains had failed to conceal. "Reigi does however, through a lover's instinct, but we both have come to an agreement of sorts that she will be kept in the dark."

"You're okay with this?" Iruka asked, leaning forward slightly, the worry in his voice taking Reigi by surprise.

"It's not a matter of being okay with it," Kabuto answered slowly, turning to stare out the window through a narrow gap in the curtain which he had parted with his left hand. "Rather, it's in her best interest that I keep things as it is. She'll be troubled with guilt and worry if I do so and that will have a negative effect on her body."

"You really care for her," Iruka said, sounding amazed.

Kabuto flushed slightly.

"Naturally, considering what she means to me," he muttered embarrassedly, his eyes focusing on the window sill rather than the view of the city out the window.

"It must be difficult for you then; what, with Naruto and her son being together," Iruka said, leaving the sofa to lean his back on the wall next to Kabuto.

"No, I'm okay with that." Even as he said it, he felt no truth behind the words he had uttered. The hollowness of his voice was proof enough and made the older man study the pale face, seeing the empty eyes stare unseeingly from behind rectangle glasses. "As long as she is happy."

"If so there should be no reason for you to turn away, right?" Iruka asked, making Reigi look up at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You're always turning away or leaving when those two are engaged in their moments," he answered.

"How would you know? You haven't even been here for more than a day!" Kabuto had said the words angrily without thinking, instinctively getting defensive.

"So I was right," Iruka exclaimed, giving him an amused smile. The younger man flushed more heavily, realizing his mistake. "It was Neji that slipped it out to me."

"Why are you pursuing this matter when it holds no benefit to Naruto?" The doctor asked, looking away. "Like I said, she will feel troubled with my feelings, so I don't intend to ever let her find out, please rest assure. I'm only thinking of her well-being at the moment and it was never my place to feel so strongly towards someone in the beginning."

"What about you?"

Reigi stared at the older man as if Iruka was holding a dagger to his chest. The amused smile had by then vanished to be replaced with an unreadable look that nearly made Kabuto think Iruka was looking way beyond him, into the depths of his lonely heart. He shifted uncertainly looking back and forth to the older man and the view out the window.

It wasn't fair. He felt trapped now, by the warm gaze and the awakened emotions. He wasn't stupid; the one who knew him best would always be himself in the end.

"This isn't about me," he bit back more harshly than he intended as he stepped away from the window in an attempt to escape the situation.

"You're lying to yourself," Iruka said, his voice low yet it still pierced the man like a thousand needles, rooting his feet to the floor.

Of course he was lying to himself! What kind of person did Iruka think he was? There was no way he was okay with watching Naruto manhandled by someone like Reigi. Even though his mouth spoke differently, there was still the small glimmer of hope that the blonde would be his in the end.

"I don't want to continue this conversation," he finally said after a long pause, the words filled with a strong defiance.

"As you wish," the short reply came and he felt the older man leave his side.

…

Night passed with no dangerous occurrence. Once the young doctor had woken Reigi for his guard duty, he had taken to sleeping in the next room until dawn arrived. Everyone was up and moving around by the time it was half past seven except Naruto. The four of them gathered briefly in the living room to report of anything happening throughout their watch. Kabuto had taken great means to avoid Iruka's eyes until it was plainly obvious to the other two that something had definitely occurred the night before. Neji had wisely kept his mouth shut until he could discuss the issue one-on-one with the former teacher. Reigi also contained his curiosity for a later time until he could force the young doctor to spill it on his own.

"I'm going to go wake Naruto," Kabuto said, glancing at the clock that hung on the wall. Reigi gave a start, instantly grabbing the man's arm.

"What? Why?" he asked forcefully, watching as the second hand pass twelve, announcing it was 7:45AM

"Breakfast should arrive in a few minutes, as Ino-san had reminded last night. So, I wanted to give Naruto a check-up before she starts her day," Kabuto replied monotonously, shaking the arm off and walking away.

"Che! Why are you being so cold suddenly, four-eyes bastard," Reigi said under his breath before turning to the pair of older men. "Is there anything I should do?"

Iruka smiled warmly at him and he felt his face flush happily.

"You should go to Naruto, we'll be fine. There's not much to do anyway," the tan man answered, waving him away. Reigi gave him a large smile, something akin to a certain obnoxious blonde he had known several years ago, making Iruka's eyes widened slightly.

"I haven't seen a grin like that in ages," Iruka muttered, watching the tall Uchiha disappear into the hallway. Neji lightly snorted by his side but didn't comment on it.

"You cornered him," was the reply instead and the older man shrugged.

"He's safe; that Yakushi."

…

"Naruto," Kabuto called out gently, sliding the warm covers under her chin. The blonde stirred and light coloured lashes twitched before pale eyelids uncovered brilliant blue eyes. Silence stretched between them as the blue eyes travelled the surrounding, assessing the situation.

"What time is it?" she asked in a croaky voice, pulling out her hand to rub at her eyes.

"It's a quarter to 8," Kabuto replied in his gentle tone, lightly brushing against her forehead to cast away stray bangs. The skin beneath his twitched and the deep blue eyes stared at his hand in curiosity.

"Am I in Konoha?" Naruto asked hesitantly, taking the man by surprise.

"Of course," he answered, almost instantly. "Why do you ask?"

"It has been quite some time since I woke up to you by my side," Naruto answered, her voice sounded drained but content. His heart skipped a beat but he fought out a smile to offer to the blonde.

"It's a depressing sight, for sure," an annoyed voice interrupted them. Reigi was glowering at the doctor from the end of the bed, feeling threatened by the warm atmosphere that he had just broken. Silently, both exchanged glares until the bed shifted.

"Did something happen? It's still early," Naruto said, pushing the covers away to sit up. She pushed her tousled hair behind her ear with a small grunt and stretched her arms towards her feet, before letting out a content sigh.

"I want to do a check-up before you start the day," Kabuto said, helping the blond pull the covers off of her legs before leaning on the floor next to her. Naruto shifted so that her feet touched the floor and she was facing the doctor. "If you don't mind, could you make some tea, Rei? For your mother."

Reigi stared with disbelief at the doctor for having the gall to order him around but even as he glared at the man, Kabuto didn't turn to him, opting instead to help the blonde pull her hair back and take off her shirt. Naruto glanced at him worriedly but Reigi fought the urge to strangle the man while he stomped angrily out of the room.

"Kabuto? Is something the matter?" Naruto asked in a small voice, feeling the fingers press at familiar areas. The hand twitched but otherwise didn't stop as it prodded a few places. It wasn't until the light digits slid under her breast did she speak up again. "Did something happen last night?"

Slowly, Kabuto pulled his hand away and looked to the ground.

He had been suppressing it since he woke up but the memories of last night came back to him clear and sound. His other hand was placed on the blonde's knee before it slid up her thigh and reached behind her. The hand that had been examining her body took off his glasses before it, too, followed its pair behind her back. His legs spread apart to let his ass and the underside of his legs touch the floor. His pale face was buried in her lap and he tightened his hold on her waist.

"Naruto…" he began, his muffled voice already quivering. Naruto hesitantly placed one hand on the trembling shoulder and the other on the man's shoulder-length hair.

"Yes?" Naruto spoke up when Kabuto had fallen silent for a whole minute.

"What am I to you?" he asked, his voice full of fear and sorrow. "Even though it's selfish to ask this now, I want to know."

Kabuto raised his head to stare into the warm eyes of the person he loved.

"There's no one more important to me than you up to now. You're the only reason I've been doing what I had done," he continued, sliding closer to the blonde so that his face would reach nearer to her own pale one. His vision blurred and he could feel a painful clench in his chest. "If it wasn't for you, I would have long given up on the kind of life I was presented to. There has been many times; many occasions, that I felt like ending my life just to escape the horror of what I had done but because of you…because you were there and suffering that I couldn't do it. You are the light that pulls me out of the darkness all these while and keeps supporting me, urging me to continue living through everything that man has put us through."

He paused to let out a trembling breath before a tear slipped down his pale cheeks. Naruto's face held nothing that told the man she was troubled by his break down. Rather, she showed him a concerned and caring face as she continued to hold him.

"Naruto…"

The blonde's warm smile appeared on her pink lips and the strength that he had gathered seemed to leave him little by little and he buried his face in her lap again.

"Weren't you the one who advised me against keeping my feelings bottled up?" Naruto asked in return, playing with the hair on the man's nape. Kabuto shifted but didn't give a reply. "What would you like to hear from me?"

"The painful truth," Kabuto mumbled against the fabric on her thigh. She let out a soft laugh that tickled his ears.

"You're important to me as well," Naruto said, the hand that was on his shoulder gently running up and down his back. "I wouldn't have made it this far without you."

"Is that my only worth to you?" Kabuto asked sorrowfully, bringing his head up once more. He searched the blue eyes desperately until his tears clouded his vision when he couldn't find the emotions he was seeking.

"Of course not," Naruto answered, running her fingers through his hair before cupping one side of his face. "You hold my life in your hands, right? I trust you with it. Even if you decide to turn against me, I'll still see you as a saviour."

"No…no!" Kabuto protested, rising to his knees so that their faces could be nearer, taking hold of the hand on his cheek. The hand on her back pulled back to hold her waist "I will never turn against you! You are my everything."

"Then? What are you worried about?" she asked pulling the hand on his cheek away and gripping the hand that had previously held it.

"Naruto…I lo–"

Before he could continue, the door banged loudly, causing both of them to jump, their contact immediately breaking and both hearts about to burst out their ribcage.

Standing in the doorframe was a fuming Reigi, one hand balancing a tray with a cup of tea and biscuits while the other was slammed into the slightly askew door.

"You have the gall to tell me to brew tea while you're in here FLIRTING with my MOTHER!!" the nineteen-year-old shouted angrily. They could see a faint hand-shaped dent on the door when Reigi stomped in. Kabuto stood up, wiping his tears while Naruto hurriedly pulled on her shirt.

The tray was dumped forcefully on the table while he passed it and Kabuto braced himself for the hand that Reigi had brought up threateningly. Just as they were an arm away, the hand lashed out; pinning the older man to the wall by his neck. The doctor wheezed in pain and tried, in vain, to push the hand off but Reigi was stronger than him.

"Rei, what is wrong with you?" Naruto scolded, pulling angrily at the arm that was hurting the bespectacled man.

"Wha–? Naru-kaa-san, he's the one who's got something wrong!" the young Uchiha said exasperatedly but he loosened the hold enough to let the man stand on his two feet. "Didn't we have a deal? You swore to keep your trap shut!"

Naruto showed a puzzled face but it grew agitated when Reigi still held the doctor forcefully against the wall. "Release him at once, Rei!"

The incredulity that took over the furious face made Naruto fill with guilt but she didn't stop her attempt to rescue Kabuto from Reigi's violent ministrations. The young doctor slumped to the floor with a grunt as the hand left him. Light panting filled the room, Reigi because of his anger and Kabuto because of the previous absence of air in his lungs.

"I need to discuss something with Kabuto-sensei," Reigi finally said after a while, his voice grave and his eyes boring down on the man's slumped form. He stepped forward and hoisted the man up by his arm until Kabuto could steady himself on his own two feet. He gave a short glance at his worried mother before turning to the ground. "I'll try my best not to cause much bodily harm."

With that said, her son left the room, dragging Kabuto with him. As they slipped past the doorframe, they bumped into Iruka in the hallway. Reigi gave a small bow, his lips pursed thin to control his anger, while Kabuto seemed too dazed to offer anything to the man. In a second, the two disappeared into the next room, the door shutting with more force than necessary and the light click from the doorknob announcing that it was also locked.

Quite bewildered by the affair, the older man made his way into Naruto's room, noticing out of the corner of his eyes that the door was in a state where it had seen better days. His eyes met the blonde and he nudged his head to the side to indicate the pair he had bumped into but she just shrugged.

"Something happened we should know of?" Iruka asked, watching the blonde make her way to the table and pulling the tray of tea to her side.

"A moment of weakness," she answered, idly taking a sip of her son's tea. It tasted good and a bit on the sweeter side but it filled her with a warm feeling. "I'll try rescuing him if they take more than five minutes."

Iruka grinned.

"A lock is nothing to a shinobi," he murmured as he took a seat next to Naruto at the table.

"You said something?" asked Naruto, her eyes sharp on his.

"An old man's rambling," Iruka answered with a smile that made Naruto chuckle. They slipped into warm silence filled by the morning sounds and he took this time to study the blonde as she stared unseeingly into her tea.

The mused long blonde hair had been left to flow down her back with the occasional stray hair slipping into her vision and he could tell that the hair was as soft as it looked. Faintly, he could see the whisker marks on her cheek that had turned brown rather than the prominent black she used to have in her youth. It was probably the doing of the mysterious Soul Switching Jutsu. Her features had softened, turned feminine and made her look younger than her actual age. In his mind, he compared the two faces, the youth and the present, and immediately saw that they were two completely different ones. Age would not achieve this kind of affect. Once again, it was probably the jutsu at work. The other thing he noticed previously was that Naruto's height had reduced immensely than when she was 18, the last time Konoha had homed the blonde. Even the boy's perverted Oiroke no Jutsu was taller than the present her.

"It's really quiet," Naruto suddenly spoke up, staring at the wall joined to the other room. "I kind of expected a little scuffle but I guess those two really made up at one point in time."

"Those two always fight?" Iruka asked. Naruto contemplated over the answer for a while, her eyes once again staring into the cup.

"Not until very recently. The both of them used to not have anything to do with each other. Even though Kabuto is called the family doctor, he only takes care of me mostly. He keeps tabs on Rei but that boy rarely falls ill and his cuts and bruises heal faster than normal," she answered slowly, seeming to weigh her words in her mind. Iruka nodded to show his attention but otherwise did nothing else. "It's because I wanted to escape that those two have to get along. Kabuto seems fine with it but Rei has trouble accepting his closeness with me."

"Closeness?" the former teacher wondered aloud.

"Yeah, since Kabuto has to examine me and everything," Naruto said with a shrug, taking another sip.

"You mean, from jealousy?" Iruka asked, scratching his invisible sideburns. This got him a peculiar look from the blonde, startling him slightly.

"Who's jealous?" she asked back, earning an incredulous look from him.

'No, Naruto hasn't changed much,' he thought laughingly.

…

His mind registered the sound of the door slamming and a click of the lock before the strong hand that held painfully on his arm threw him across the room, managing somehow to make him land on the bed he had occupied the night before. The large figure marched towards him and climbed partly on the bed so that he could hover over him on all four.

It was then that he realized the position he had brought himself into and he panicked. The feeling of cold eyes piercing at him made his blood run cold and he gripped the white sheet underneath his body with trembling fingers.

"What were you thinking?" Reigi's furious question was hissed into his ears. For a second, he braved a glance at the boy and saw, with a churning stomach, the close proximity of the two. "You already said you were not going to do anything to her!"

"But you kept being suspicious of me!" Kabuto hissed back, hiding his face into the sheet. Seeing this reaction only managed to anger the young Uchiha more and he grabbed the man's shoulder and turned him on his back so that they were facing each other. The older man's eyes widened before he turned away, still fearful of the intense gaze.

The chest beneath Reigi heaved tremblingly as it sucked in and let out shaky breaths because of the nervousness. The pale collarbone dipped and showed more of its curve and the man's smooth pale neck was able to be scrutinized clearly by the man above it, the turned face helping to achieve this. His eyes stared at the owner of the enticing picture of vulnerability and saw, his breath hitching, that tears had collected at the man's dark lashes.

He leaned in closer until he could hear the other's breathing before he brought one finger to gently swipe at the lashes. Kabuto flinched from the hand, his eyes blinking up at the man.

"What?" Kabuto asked in a low tone, eyeing the thumb that was wet with his tears before looking at the owner of said thumb.

"You're crying," Reigi stated bluntly, looking at his thumb before licking it.

"I was! I'm not now!" Kabuto growled back, his face flushed slightly at the man's action. He tried to push the Uchiha off of him but it only made Reigi grow annoyed, so the man pressed lower until they were practically chest to chest. "Get off me!"

"Not until you tell me what the hell you were thinking making a move on Naru-kaa-san," Reigi said with finality, grabbing the hand that was persistently pushing against his heart and pinning it above their heads. The other hand, which was pushing against his shoulder, slumped onto the bed in defeat.

"Because of you," the older man answered after taking a deep breath.

"Me? What the hell did I do?" Reigi retorted, getting angry again.

"Your continuous jealousy made me distant myself from Naruto –"

"That's a good thing!" Reigi cut in, glaring at the man underneath him. Surprisingly, Kabuto glared back and attempted to shove the man with his whole body, predictably failing the feat because of the difference in strength and their position.

"Let me finish!" Kabuto hissed angrily. Reigi's glare hardened but he kept his mouth shut. "Before this, I could freely be with Naruto and interact casually with her –"

At the sight of Reigi opening his mouth to retort, the young doctor shoved his free palm over the other's mouth with an angry hiss.

"I could do all of that but because of your insistent jealousy, I held myself back... Do you understand what I'm implying?" The hand was pulled away to let the man answer. Reigi, shocked by what was said, remained silent for quite some time until Kabuto was squirming under him.

Suddenly, the younger man burst out laughing, making Kabuto flinch before his eyes widened.

"What are you laughing about?" he asked, almost hysterically. Reigi planted his face right next to the other's head to muffle his laughter. The doctor flushed and squirmed some more when the feel of the sturdy chest pressing against his registered in his mind. His empty hand slowly tugged at the side of Reigi's shirt.

It felt warm.

"Hey, stop it," Kabuto said weakly, unclenching the shirt in favour of sliding his hand to the man's shoulder.

"To think something like this could be pent up," Reigi said right next to his ear. The breathless laughter that followed the statement made Kabuto shiver. Another bout of laughter escaped him, though less loud than before. Just as sudden as the laugh, it stopped and Reigi pulled away to stare into the older man's flushed face. "Y – Your heart's beating so fast."

The blush intensified and Kabuto covered his eyes with the back of his free hand. They were in such a compromising position that if anyone walked in on them at that moment, there would be no doubt that the person would think they were doing something inappropriate.

"It's because of you, idiot," Kabuto told him shakily. It was meant to come out as something to reprimand the man but instead sounded like a distressed whine.

"What?!" was the expected reply from Reigi. A glare peeked out from under a pale hand. "Hey now! If people heard what you just said, they're going to think you have a thing for me!"

"And whose fault was that!" Kabuto shouted and proceeded to violently struggle out of the unsuspecting Reigi's grip. Somehow, he managed to shove the man to the side and dart out of bed but a strong arm grabbed him by the waist and hauled him down. Kabuto rolled across carpeted floor before his back hit painfully against a dresser, making it wobble and a vase topple from it. Reigi managed to catch the porcelain item before it exploded against the doctor's leg.

"Ugh! Your continuous resistance is giving me a hard time!" the young Uchiha said angrily, stuffing the vase in the corner between the wall and the dresser's side.

"Then you should stop trying to corner me everywhere you want!" Kabuto snapped, making Reigi more irate.

"You're pretty brave lately," Reigi growled, pinching both cheeks and pulling it.

"Leggo!!" Kabuto whined, tears in his eyes. His hand pushed and shoved against the hard chest but the prepared man didn't budge an inch.

"Since when have you learned to defy me, Kabuto-sensei?" Reigi asked, tugging harder on the smooth flesh. "Just watching you struggle makes me want to hurt you even more."

"You sure are a sadist!" Kabuto finally managed to wrench the hands away only to be tackled to the floor.

"Only to you," Reigi replied with a smirk before they rolled across the floor until he ended up above the man once more.

"Like I'd need it!" Kabuto shouted at him, shoving his palm to the man's chin, taking Reigi by surprise as he fell to the side, one hand clutching his pained chin. With the other, he grabbed the back of an escaping Kabuto's wide-collared sweater. The man fell on his back with a surprised yelp but managed to roll away just in time to escape the younger man's clutches.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"

Before Kabuto could crawl away, an arm casually swung under his abdomen and he was picked up easily. He tried to struggle against the shadow clone's hold but to no avail.

"I can't believe I have to resort to this kind of thing," the real Reigi said breathlessly as he got up from the floor. Kabuto tried to glare at him but his efforts were disturbed by the clone throwing him on the bed before it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"Back to square one," muttered the doctor in frustration, when he felt Reigi swing one leg over him and straddled him. They were both panting and very angry towards the other.

"Pointless and a waste of energy," the young Uchiha said between gritted teeth.

"Yes, you definitely are," the doctor bit back.

"Heh. Are you trying to be funny, Kabuto?" Reigi asked humourlessly, flashing a glare and a dissatisfied smirk.

"Don't call me so lightly! I'm older than you!" the shorter man admonished, delivering a strong blow to the other's ribs. Reigi, though he expected it, wheezed at the strength behind the punch.

"You bastard!" the man howled and was about to attack a determined and prepared Kabuto when a few soft knocks silenced everything in the room, including their breaths.

"Rei? Kabuto? Breakfast is already here," Naruto's gentle voice ceased their argument.

Reigi stepped off of the man and instantly made his way to the door. Light talking could be heard between the mother and son before the blonde called to Kabuto to hurry. With that, the two left him in the room alone.

He had to wonder what Reigi had told Naruto.

It was bad.

This was bad.

His heart thumped painfully when he remembered the heat of Reigi's body pressed to his and the feel of those breaths at his ear.

…

"Eeeh? You moved away, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked eagerly, her attention completely on her former teacher. "When?"

After having breakfast that morning, they were once again visited by Tsunade. It was a short stopover as she needed to meet with a few medic-nins and attend the delayed meeting with the ambassadors. She was sharp and to the point when she told them that they were going to move to Iruka's house as their new hiding spot. As an explanation to her seemingly haste decision, she told them that the intelligence she had sent out two days ago returned with a report claiming Naruto's location already known by the other party. When asked if the other party was Sasuke, she had kept silent for a while before briskly telling them to move out.

That was how they all ended up walking in clusters to the said man's house. Ino and Tenten, who had come in place of a busy Hinata, also accompanied them as additional guards.

"Well, it was closely after Mito was born that I decided my old house was too small for a family to live in," Iruka answered.

"Careful with your hood," Neji cut in from behind. Naruto briefly turned to him before tugging on the hood more securely over half of her face.

Tsunade had strictly ordered for them to remain as much out of view as possibly but because Kabuto was worried that any other usage of chakra might harm the blonde and her child, they were in a state of disadvantage. After discarding several complicated plans, Tenten came up with the suggestion of normal clothing concealments instead of trying to fuse illusions together, which would need the use of chakra all the same.

Neji had retrieved the cloaks they wore during their escape and they placed a few small changes to make it look different until Iruka gave an approval before they were set to go. Kabuto and Reigi, being able-bodied and full of chakra, looked like two entirely different beings with their illusions in place.

Reigi had opted into transforming himself to look like a cross between Sasuke and the fourth Hokage, having seen a picture of him in the Hokage tower. Kabuto had taken the appearance of a man they had passed by in the village when they first came in and he looked as plain as any other villagers compared to Reigi's striking one.

Wanting to blend with the small amounts of people travelling the streets, they were separated into two groups by picking out from different lengths of straws. Since there were seven of them, Ino and Tenten included, they broke into two groups. Naruto, Iruka and Neji picked out long straws while Reigi, Kabuto, Ino and Tenten picked out short straws. Complete dissatisfaction could be seen on Reigi's face but they separated ways in the end, the group of four taking the shorter route through the central area of Konoha while the group of three took the longer route through a muddier path near the lake.

"How much farther is it?" Naruto asked, staring at the horizon. They were quickly approaching a residential area with low buildings. Kids and teenagers were loitering about, some of them playing games or readying their fishing poles. A group of girls were playing by the lake and one of them, owning an impressive sized forehead, reminded Naruto of Sakura.

"It's a little away from this area. The place around it is quite deserted because the soil there isn't really suitable for crop growing," explained Iruka, looking ahead. "Most of the occupants around there leave for work early morning and return late in the evening."

"Eh…that's not such a lively neighbourhood," Naruto mumbled. "It'd be lonely for the kids, wouldn't it?"

"Well, they have other shinobi friends from around the village and I'm not too strict about their curfew as long as they know their responsibility," Iruka reasoned with a light shrug. "I do ask them occasionally if they're troubled with staying there but so far they're always accommodating to my needs and be as understanding as possible."

"They sound really matured," Naruto said, her voice full of wonder. "I'm getting excited to see them."

"I'm sure they feel the same as well," Iruka replied, a warm smile on his face.

…

It just wasn't the same without the sight of blonde hair swaying in the wind or the bright blue eyes staring out the horizon. Although sunshine filtered through the damp curtains and warm heat engulfed the room after the cold storm the night before, there was a cold emptiness lingering in the air that stuck on every dark corner.

A lone man sat on the bed with his back against the headboard and his head hung low. His hands brushed against the fluffy pillow, unchanged and starting to smell earthen from being left in the open damp room after a heavy shower. He had slept there and waited for his messengers without much of a care. Some of his closer men had expressed their worry at his state but he was indifferent to their concern. He still ate and bath and did all his daily duties stiffly and with silence. The maids appointed to clear the room were sent away even before they stepped in and one foolish maid who had insistently meddled in his health status was killed on the spot a night ago. Her blood tainted the carpet and disgusted him to the point where he blew a hole through the floor just to get rid of it.

"Sasuke-sama," another messenger appeared from the shadows. Sasuke gave him no sign of acknowledgement save for a barely audible grunt. "Dark Swallow team has been found and captured. Team 8 was eliminated on the spot for causing considerable demolition near Konoha's border while team 2 and 5 resorted to self destruction when they were captured for interrogation."

"The Spiral team?" Sasuke finally spoke.

"They are still tailing after Naruto and has sent word that she is currently transitioning to another location in the undeveloped parts of town," the man said. "We also have reasons to believe that the intruder who escaped is residing in the same area."

"Look deeper into this," Sasuke finally said after a while. With an affirmative reply, the man was gone.

Sasuke slipped off the bed and stood facing the wall next to the bed. With a few hand seals, he pressed his palm to the cool surface. The kanji for wind surrounded by the four directions appeared on the wall. In an instant, several people appeared from the shadows, their faces behind masks.

"Yes, Sasuke-sama," one large-bodied man stepped forward before going down on one knee and lowering his head. Others followed closely behind him.

"I need to cause thunder before a storm in Konoha," Sasuke said, his eyes tracing the kanji on the wall. "Send a small portion to wreck havoc. Syuruke will lead for today."

"Understood," the man said.

"Shoudo, Ritsuko, step up," ordered the sharingan wielder. Two figures in the back stood up and stepped to where the large-bodied man was before returning to their previous stance. "Others are dismissed."

With that, everyone retreated into the shadows before disappearing completely, except for the two.

"What are your orders?" the taller one, Shoudo, spoke.

"Prove your loyalty to me."

Shoudo looked up quite uncertainly when Sasuke did not bother to elaborate. His eyes met piercing red, sending a shiver up his spine. This was it, he knew. The time had come to prove whose side he wanted to be in.

Neither choice made him comfortable.

…

"I'm home!" Iruka called out when he entered his house. Naruto looked about curiously and delightedly noted that Reigi's shoes as well as the others were already neatly arranged by the wall.

"Sorry for imposing," Naruto called out in a sing-song voice as she took off her shoes. Once Iruka had locked the door and Neji performed the jutsu on it, they stepped in.

"Father!" A girl, barely 16, met them in the hallway just as she exited the living room. "I didn't notice that you returned. Oh, you brought guests as well. Just now, Ino-san and Tenten-san came with two others. They claim to be under the orders of Hokage."

"Yes, they're under our care for the time being," Iruka said with a smile before he beckoned an excited Naruto forward. "This is a person I want you to meet."

Naruto pulled down her hood with shaky fingers.

"Let me introduce you. Mito, this is Uzumaki Naruto. Naruto, this is Mito; my eldest daughter," Iruka said, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"N – Nice to meet you," Naruto said awkwardly, extending her hand. Mito took it vigorously, her eyes practically sparkling as she stared with complete adoration.

"It's a pleasure!" she exclaimed happily before tugging Naruto into the living room. "Riyu-chan! Riyu-chan! Hurry! Father finally brought that person here!"

A smaller girl, with adorable pigtails, turned around sharply in her seat next to Ino and gave an excited squeal. The next second, Naruto was tackled to the ground by a fierce hug around her waist.

"Wha–?" the stunned Naruto managed to say and she felt a face smothered to her chest before it abruptly stopped.

"Un?" the pigtailed girl, Riyu, looked up, confused. "Onii-san has a lumpy chest."

Naruto's face turned tomato red in three seconds.

…

"So that's how it is," Mito said, nodding. She glanced briefly at Reigi before turning to Naruto. "Um…co – congratulations f – for the baby."

"A – Ah, it's nothing. Thank you," Naruto stuttered, her cheeks still not losing their blush during Iruka's explanation.

"I should go make tea!" Mito said suddenly, trying her best to get out of the awkward situation. A few heads nodded and she called for her younger sister to help her. Several eyes followed the two siblings until they disappeared through the hallway.

"I'm not sure which is more embarrassing; telling her I have a son who looks nearly as old as me or telling her about having that son's baby," Naruto muttered under her breath so that only Iruka, who was sitting next to her, could listen.

"Mito is very open-minded, you don't have to worry," Iruka tried to console the blonde.

"More importantly than that," a new voice joined them from the window. All heads turned to the man crouching on the window sill and Kabuto and Reigi immediately drawn out their weapons.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out, shocked. The event that had just happened instantly flew out of her mind along with the heavy colours from her cheeks.

"Yo!"

"It's okay, keep your weapons," Iruka told the wary duo and they complied, albeit a little reluctant on Reigi's side.

"Did you just return from your mission?" Ino asked the newly arrived man. Kakashi slipped inside before taking a seat next to Iruka.

"Not 'officially'. I'm taking cover here for a while," the half-masked man replied, leaning his back against the wall. Naruto cast questioning looks at Iruka but the man just shrugged with an apologetic smile. "As I was saying, more importantly than your mindless chattering, what are you all doing here? Isn't Naruto supposed to be under ANBU protection near the hokage's tower?"

"We moved out under the Godaime's order," Tenten supplied, sitting straighter. "There seems to have been an information leak about Naruto's whereabouts."

"With no other protection except you guys?" Kakashi ventured, eyeing them one by one, stopping at Reigi.

"What do you mean? The ANBU –" Neji begin.

"There is no one," the grey-haired man said, his only visible brow furrowing in seriousness. The room was filled with shocked and incredulous faces.

"That is not possible, I noticed them just as we were leaving the building," Neji denied, as if the mere thought of such a thing was inexcusable. Both the shinobi stared at each other before Neji looked away, understanding that Kakashi would never joke about something as serious as this. "We must inform this to the hokage immediately."

"I will go," Tenten offered, already standing up. Neji brought up one hand to stop her as he, too, stood up.

"I understand the situation better; I should go," the white-eyed man said, making his way to the door. Kakashi managed to block his path with one hand though.

"It's too risky to go alone," he said to Neji.

"I will fare fine on my own. Naruto can't have lesser protection than it is," Neji retorted, side-stepping the man. His actions were stopped by a firm and gloved hand on his shoulder.

"You realize who you're up against?" Kakashi said in a dangerous tone, clenching his hold on the man. Neji didn't give any reaction but stayed still enough for the copy-nin to release his shoulder and turn to the group. "Ino!"

"I understand," Ino replied, standing up. With a single nod to everyone, the two made their way to the door.

"Be haste and make no detours," Kakashi warned, watching them put on their sandals and lifting the jutsu from the door.

"Take care of Naruto," Ino said, casting a fleeting glance at the blonde in question before following Neji out and closing the door behind her.

"Kakashi-sensei, what's going on?" Naruto immediately asked, clutching the hem of her shirt. Reigi moved next to his mother worriedly, an arm protectively curling to one shoulder. Kabuto also stepped closer behind the blonde, his eyes boring to the masked man in front of them.

"It really isn't the time for a warm welcome celebration yet. Right, Naruto?" Kakashi said, his eyes crinkling from a hidden smile. Naruto was a bit taken aback by the sudden change of topic but she let it go when his face turned serious again. "We shouldn't hang around here. I need everyone to be on their guard from now on. Naruto is not to be left alone even for a second, understand?"

There were collective nods from the occupants before everyone started making their way to the living room.

"Watch out for Mito and Riyu-chan," Naruto managed to hear Kakashi telling Iruka before the former teacher slipped to the kitchen.

She felt bad for causing trouble suddenly for Iruka. She had not anticipated for something like this to happen. If she had known she would have objected to coming there in the first place, no matter how eager she felt to be able to meet Iruka's daughters.

"It's okay. He won't mind a little danger like this," Kakashi whispered to her when he had noticed her staring at the general direction of the kitchen. "If it's for you, everyone would sacrifice soul and limb to protect, even if you refuse."

Naruto stared at him, horrified.

"I don't want that," Naruto said in a weak voice, her chest tight with emotions.

Kakashi's one visible eye crinkled to indicate a smile.

…

Evening passed with no news and everyone was practically sitting on the edges of their seats had there been any chairs. As it was, Reigi had taken to pacing the room, Kabuto had changed seating spots at least five times in the last hour and Mito was beginning to fidget at the tense air surrounding the room.

Naruto was beginning to worry over Tenten's condition because her eye seemed to twitch every time Reigi passed her in his diligent pacing. As for Iruka, she was hoping he didn't mind the way Kabuto was distractedly tugging on the fragile leaves of the potted plant on the window sill. Riyu, who was oblivious to the danger, was asleep with her head on Mito's lap. As for the man who had suddenly popped out, Kakashi, had made himself disappear ever since two hours ago.

"Rei, calm down," Naruto said softly, tugging the man's pants as he passed her for the umpteenth time. The young Uchiha gave a long sigh before he sat down next to his mother. Naruto turned to Iruka, who was watching his potted plant in nervousness. "Iruka-sensei, how long have they been gone?"

"It should be about 8 hours already," Iruka said, glancing at the clock hanging near the window. Kabuto's eyes also trailed to the clock, his hand on the leaf slowly slipping away.

All of a sudden, a loud crash sounded from the back of the house, startling everyone. Smoke filled the hallway and the sound of debris colliding with the walls could be heard. Iruka immediately went to his daughters, who were leaning on the wall at the back of the room, and helped the drowsy Riyu up from her sister.

"What was that?" Reigi asked, already standing protectively in front of Naruto while Kabuto stood behind her.

"Could it be…" Naruto said but her words trailed away as the thumping of her heart from the startle began to grow with her fear.

Tense seconds of silence filled the room as everyone stood protectively around Naruto and Iruka's daughters. Their weapons were drawn out and held before them in defensive stances. Naruto also pulled out a kunai. Riyu, who had woken with a shock, trembled by the blonde's side, so she placed an arm around her shoulders, hoping to calm the girl slightly.

The sound of sandals approaching them from the kitchen was very light but everyone could hear it. As the smoke began to die down, a shadowy figure stood in the living room entrance.

"That's–" Naruto began, her mind racing.

Kabuto gripped his weapon harder.

"Ritsuko!"

-----------------

A/N: I drew Kabuto the other day. The link is in my profile

The reviews I got for chap 11 are really interesting ^-^.

It has been very inspiring. Thank you very much.

Please continue to inspire me~~


	13. Body Chains

Disclaimer: Everything that does not belong to me belong to someone else. So says Mr. Obvious

Warning: OOC, incest, Mpreg, slash and rape

Summary: Oedipus Complex – an unconscious sexual desire that a son feels for his mother, combined with hatred for his father

Pairing: NaruOC, KabuNaru slight SasuNaru

A/N: College yay! Don't kill me -_-;;

Oh yeah,  
**Raep tiem!! **Like, srzly. In this chapter. Be prepared for an 'M' moment.

Chapter 13: Body Chains

"_I love you," she suddenly said, her blue eyes intently staring at his still back. Silence stretched for a while and she was beginning to feel disappointed at his lack of answer when the man turned to her, his eyes strangely brighter in the shadow of the evening sunset._

_They looked at each other, sky blue meeting midnight blue; a complete opposite of the other. That was how they were from the beginning. Until now? She wasn't sure anymore._

"_I love…" Sasuke began to say but he paused and his eyes searched her but she could sense that he didn't find what he wanted as he looked to the stone floor before turning around. A gust of wind blew, messing through her blonde locks and his dark tresses. "…Naruto."_

_Even though it was her name that he said, she felt as if it wasn't her he was referring to and her heart splintered._

…

Kabuto gripped his weapon harder.

"Ritsuko."

Ritsuko's young face showed no emotions as he stepped over a few rubles. Naruto noticed with dread that splatters of blood was on his shirt and that the long katana he was holding was completely drenched in the crimson liquid.

"What's going on?" Kabuto asked apprehensively at the man, wondering if he was still in the young boy's favour. A grimace answered him and he grew more alert when the boy pointed his weapon to the blonde.

"When things come to this, I cannot forgive traitors," Ritsuko said in a deadly hiss before he lunged at the unsuspecting doctor. Kabuto was ready to repel the attack but when the sound of weapons clashing settled in the room, it wasn't his senbon needles that met the katana. Instead, it was Tenten who had cut in.

Before any of them could react more to Ritsuko's offense, Reigi moved in front of Naruto and his kunai deflected a few shurikens. Naruto's blue eyes searched the surrounding ruble to locate the source of the attack. She barely felt her son's tense back before it pressed onto her. Someone had strike them straight on. Tenten forced Ritsuko to battle away from the group.

"Damn, had a feeling it was you," Naruto heard Reigi said in an irritated voice as he clashed weapons with the person. She took a step back to see his opponent more clearly and gasped, her knees turning weak.

"Shoudo!"

The man in question only managed to wink her way before jumping back, bringing his weapon in front of him.

"Well, it was sooner or later," Shoudo answered before rushing in for another attack. Kabuto grabbed the blonde's arm and pulled her to the side just as Reigi crashed with the wall behind them, having met with Shoudo's attack head on. The man wasn't all well himself, jumping back and pressing onto his bleeding arm where Reigi had managed to pierce deeply with his kunai during the impact. "Getting rusty in your aim, Rei?"

"You wish, senpai!" Reigi replied with a smirk, looking unscathed even after the collision. The two began fighting again, with Reigi initiating it this time.

"Stay close, Naruto," Kabuto whispered urgently to the blonde as they neared Iruka. She gripped her kunai tighter and kept on alert.

"Could it be…Sasuke…" Naruto couldn't finish her sentence, the idea already seeming like taboo in her mind. Kabuto made a noise in his throat but didn't help her finish what she was saying.

"Whatever it is, we need to get out of here," Iruka cut in, already coaxing his daughters to the entrance hallway. Kabuto tugged on Naruto's hand insistently and she cast another glance at her son, fighting, before letting the doctor drag her out of the living room. "Walk ahead, I'll cover from behind."

Kabuto nodded and started to take the lead, Naruto's hand still held firmly. As they passed the former teacher, Iruka spoke in a low voice, "Take care of my daughters."

Naruto's heart dropped at what she heard and, if it wasn't for the pale hand holding so strongly and desperately on her own, she would have returned to the older man's side and pleaded for him to not get involved. If anything happened to Iruka, to the figure she cared so much for, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself, ever.

"I will," Kabuto said, his voice strong and confident. It helped to assure Iruka and in the man's mind, that was all he needed to disperse any regrets he might have. Mito and Riyu cast nervous looks at their father's back before a hand fell on the younger girl's shoulder. "Let's get going."

Mito nodded and took her sister's hand. Just as they were about to step outside, a loud crash in the hallway halted them. A strong gust of dirt and debris from the impact hit them and they covered their eyes protectively. Naruto looked up in dread, as the dust began to settle. The man was no longer there.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto shouted dreadfully, staggering on her legs. She was about to rush inside to search for the man but an arm held her by her waist.

"We have to go, Naruto," Kabuto hissed in her ears, hauling her forcefully away from the chaos. Small hands tugged on her own and she looked down to see Riyu pulling her, unshed tears in her dark eyes.

"Riyu…" she said with a heavy heart.

"Father knows what he's doing," the young girl said, tugging more forcefully on her hand. "Onii-chan is always on father's mind, if something happens to onii-chan, father will be sad like that day mother left."

Naruto's heart dropped more but she said nothing as she let herself get led away, Kabuto steering her by her shoulders and Riyu still holding her trembling hand in her smaller ones. Mito made up the rear, taking out her kunai incase of another sudden attack.

"Naruto!" someone called out from ahead, making them all turn to the source in alert. A few Konoha shinobi came into sight, jumping from roof to roof and some running across the plain grass field. She could barely make out their outlines as they neared her but suddenly, Kabuto's arm was torn off her shoulder and he skidded across the dirt ground with a shinobi holding a kunai to his throat.

"Who are you?" the shinobi asked forcefully while another shinobi, that Naruto recognized a few seconds later was Kiba, pulled the blonde behind his back.

"Hey, wait, he's with us!" Kiba shouted pulling the man off of the doctor. Kabuto took a few seconds to gather some oxygen into his lungs before he helped himself up. Naruto saw with relief that the other shinobis had made their way into the house and the sounds of weapons clashing filled the late evening air. "You better start getting away."

Kiba had started to move away when Naruto tugged on his vest desperately. The man looked at her quizzically.

"Iruka-sensei– he–" Naruto's voice hitched with her tears and Kiba nodded.

"We will make sure he's alright," Kiba answered, turning away and jumping right into the chaotic house.

"Naruto, this way," a shinobi she didn't recognize motioned for her to follow him and she did, trailed closely by Kabuto. Mito and Riyu had already walked ahead of them, being led by a kunoichi.

…

Naruto waited tensely in the room, feeling useless and vulnerable. It was near midnight already but the sudden events that had occurred didn't allow her to sleep. She heard that Shoudo and Ritsuko had been caught and was currently under interrogation. That news itself made her chest tight. To think that Shoudo, who she had always considered one of the closest people she had in that mansion, was able to freely attack Reigi with no reserve. When she thought about it now, it shouldn't have been weird. No matter what, their loyalties lie with Sasuke and Shoudo helping them escape was the nicest thing he could do for her, in respect of the bond they had.

As for Ritsuko, the blonde didn't have the heart to ask Kabuto how he felt about nearly being attacked by the boy that had looked at him until now as a brother. In the end, Ritsuko was right and the three of them were just traitors in his eyes.

An hour before, Reigi had rushed over to her and she was thankful for the fact that Reigi only suffered a small scratch and not something more fatal. They didn't get to stay together longer as Reigi was needed to report the whole thing. Iruka had also visited her for a while to ease her heart. To her utmost relief, the former teacher had only suffered light scratches as well. Kabuto had sternly restricted Naruto from over-exerting herself when she had first been showed to her room. She had taken her tea and Kabuto helped ease her mind with a jutsu so that she managed to get a short nap but after waking up, the tension had returned and she didn't feel like moving.

The door opened and Kabuto entered with a small tray. His face was blank but she could tell that he was stressed and tired from the entire event. The small tray was placed on the cabinet and he approached her.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly.

"Useless," Naruto answered truthfully, her eyes trained on the door that was left ajar. The man took a seat on the bed and stared at the bedside table with little interest. "How are those two?"

When Kabuto failed to respond, Naruto let her eyes fall onto the doctor and the tight feeling in her chest intensified at the sight of Kabuto trying to keep his feelings inside. She had never seen Kabuto like this, that was for certain but she couldn't say she wasn't expecting it. Kabuto, who had never stepped into the world and had comrades to loose, never fathomed how emotions like betrayal and hurt was really like. Perhaps it was his personality or maybe it was his own defensive mechanism but Kabuto took great care in distancing himself with other people so he didn't have anyone close to him that he could loose. Even with Naruto, the doctor made sure to keep a certain distance between the two of them. She wasn't sure how close Ritsuko was to Kabuto but she had a feeling Ritsuko was more than his lab assistant.

"Kabuto?" she prodded. The man looked at her before shaking his head, gripping his emotions and collecting himself. She didn't like this, knowing that Kabuto was keeping his emotions bottled up because of her. "You don't have to hide your feelings from me."

He finally looked at her, his eyes already beginning to redden from the long night.

"It's nothing to worry about," he said softly and courageously mustered a smile that faltered almost immediately. Naruto, growing more worried, leaned closer and placed her hand on his own in his lap.

"But I'm already worried. If you're not going to tell me what's wrong, I'm going to worry myself to death and you know Rei will never forgive you if that happens," Naruto said, smiling. Kabuto couldn't help an amused snort from escaping him. She pulled her hand away and scooted to make more space before she patted the mattress next to her. "Let's make us comfortable before you de-worry-fy me."

"My life span will decrease if Rei sees me in bed with you," Kabuto said amusedly, lightly shaking his head.

"Don't worry, he'll understand. He might be a bit of a bastard when it comes to being protective over me but he won't mind me trying to comfort you if I tell him," Naruto tried to ease the man's heart. Kabuto weighed his options. He definitely wanted to climb into bed with Naruto but he needed to stay alive much longer. The night was a promisingly long one and Reigi might not be able to pull in for a couple more hours. He also wasn't supposed to spend the whole night with the blonde, as wonderful as it sounds, as he needed to be there when they interrogated the two.

His heart dropped and he decided that maybe if it was a few minutes, it'd be okay. So, he slipped next to a welcoming Naruto and let his back rest on the bed's headboard while the blonde threw a blanket over his legs. They sat in silence for a while, Naruto wondering if she should ask him first and Kabuto just enjoying the feeling of sitting next to the blonde.

"Shoudo has been asking me if he could talk to you," Kabuto said suddenly, making Naruto's hollow feeling appear again. "I was there during the interrogation. They wanted to make sure Shoudo and Ritsuko weren't lying. Sasuke seems to have placed a jutsu on them to create a barrier that wouldn't allow anyone to breach their mind."

Naruto couldn't say anything.

"They've been doing a number of experiments to breach the jutsu or find a loophole but there still hasn't been any positive result," Kabuto's voice seemed to have lowered considerably at that point. The fear in his voice was apparent. "The thing is, after the first few experiments, they found out that there was poison in Ritsuko's mouth that was supposed to be used for suicide. Normally, loyal subjects like the Calling Mark Bearers would instantly take their life once caught by the enemy so everyone was appalled that those two hadn't done it yet."

Kabuto took in a shuddering breath, his hands gripping the blanket.

"Many things came into my mind that time. Like…perhaps…there was a possibility that Ritsuko was forced to attack us and didn't want to end it that way. Maybe he came to warn us. Maybe he wanted to leave as well. I wanted to believe those but it didn't reason well with the whole situation."

Naruto could feel the hope in Kabuto's voice, could feel the tremble of his shoulders, could see the desperation in his eyes and could imagine the pain in his heart.

"They've come to a conclusion that perhaps, to ensure the barrier works, they must stay alive," Kabuto said, his voice so low that Naruto wouldn't have caught it had she not been listening so attentively. Silence fell between them after that, each consumed in their own thoughts without realizing that they were thinking the same thing.

Naruto wasn't so sure if she wanted Kabuto to continue speaking after all.

"It still hasn't been cleared but, they're trying to get the Hokage's agreement," Kabuto said before he pulled his legs to his chest and placed his forehead on his knee. "They're going to sacrifice Ritsuko."

The blonde let out a shocked gasp, her head whirling to the man beside her. The man's face was covered by his untied hair but she could see the twitch and tremble of his frame that she couldn't help but throw her arms around the man.

"Oh god, Kabuto," she said, pulling the man's face to her shoulders and brought her arms tightly around his shoulders and back. She was speechless, if it wasn't Ritsuko, it would be Shoudo and she didn't want that. She felt selfish but relief had run through her body when she heard it.

It wasn't fair for the both of them or any of them for that matter.

Hot liquid seeped into her shirt and she wished so much that there was something she could do to make everything much better. There were so many regrets weighing her now and her biggest regret was putting everyone in this predicament.

…

"She wants us to wait until she arrives before making a decision," the jounin said to the leader of the interrogation team. Shikamaru, who was there to guard the prisoners with his team, looked up from the report he was skimming through.

"How are Hyuuga Neji and Yamanaka Ino?" he asked seriously. The jounin gave a short bow to him in acknowledgement.

"Yamanaka Ino is currently under direct care of Hijiko in the hospital while Hyuuga Neji is continuing his duty at the moment," the man reported.

"Of course," Shikamaru said, almost irritably.

Things had started to be more chaotic since the early evening probably. Neji and Ino had arrived at the hokage tower to report about the missing ANBU guards and coincidentally he was there, about to hand in a report on the invasion that had happened the other night. Naturally, Tsunade assigned his team, along with Neji and Ino, to return to Naruto's side. As they were leaving, the fifth hokage was already beginning to stand from behind her desk, to investigate the disappearance of her men.

Shikamaru had assembled his team in less than five minutes but as they were restless, Neji and Ino had left for the blonde's side the moment they left the hokage tower.

They were about halfway to Iruka's house when they were ambushed by a group of people without headbands. Easily, they were outnumbered but his team's skills were far better than their attackers.

When Shikamaru noticed the difference in their power, he was very near to smirking with joy, as one by one the attackers were beat to the ground. His joy was short lived though when suddenly Neji was whirling through the air and skidding on the dirt ground near his feet. His clothes were blotched with blood and his long black hair disarrayed.

The man had staggered to his feet, only noticing the Nara and his team, before he sprinted back to where he had been thrown from. Naturally, Shikamaru followed the man to see if he could lend a hand. Before he left, he ordered for his team to split in two, one to call reinforcement and the other to rush to Naruto's aid.

When Shikamaru had arrived to the clearing Neji had run to, he found said man kneeling next to a comatose Ino, with unbelievable amount of blood escaping a deep gash in her stomach. As for the Hyuuga, he was trying his best to stand up on his sprained ankle and a long cut running down his thigh. The sleeve of his shirt was torn and he could see the skin underneath it had been burned but not too bad to be fatal.

Their attacker was undoubtedly much too powerful for the hyuuga to handle and Shikamaru was refrained from chasing after them alone, for it would not be worth it.

Once the Nara had sent both of them to the hospital, he instantly made his way to Iruka's house. It was already late evening and the sight of the house turned into useless rubbles with a few shinobis securing the area made him feel more aware about the whole situation they were facing. Tsunade looked more tense than usual when he had returned to the hokage tower and she instantly ordered him to watch over the two captives.

Thus, landing him in the situation he was now in.

'Neji is crazy,' he thought to himself as he leaned his back on one of the walls. 'For Naruto, everyone's crazy.'

Light dragging could be heard from the prison cell and his eyes averted to the beat up prisoners. The younger one was beginning to stir awake.

"Call for Kabuto," Shikamaru hissed to a nearby guard. Inoichi, who was sitting in the cell as well, begin to stand up from his chair and approach the young prisoner.

'Even I'm crazy.'

…

The sound of his light footsteps filled the eerily silent hallway and his alert eyes scanned the metal plates hung on the doors he was passing. Room 120 was still about 6 doors away. The entire place was not safe for her to be, he calculated. Their hokage better have a good explanation as to why Naruto was so lightly guarded.

Muffled words met his ears as he approached her room and he wondered who could be inside with her. Judging from the tone of voice, nothing serious was going on; meaning she wasn't being attacked. With sharp raps of his hand, he alerted the occupants of his presence.

The door opened to the sight of the young doctor, his eyes wet and scarce tear streaks down his cheeks.

"Neji-san," Kabuto said with a croak before he coughed it to normal. "Come on in."

"How's Naruto?" he asked instantly, letting himself in. Said blonde was wiping away her own tears and looked very tired.

"Still alive," Naruto answered, trying to sound more cheerful than how she felt. "What are you doing here?"

"I'll be guarding you," he answered, almost incredulously. Naruto pouted at the tone but left it at that.

"What happened to you? You didn't return back to Iruka-sensei's house," she asked. Neji surveyed the room as he spoke.

"We got ambushed after leaving the tower. Shikamaru found us," he answered simply but it made Naruto more anxious.

"How about Ino?"

Neji kept silent.

…

Reigi looked at the worn out man carefully. The ponytail that he had pulled up in haste was loose and a few strands had escaped to make him look as disheveled as he was feeling.

"You okay, Kabuto-sensei?" he asked suddenly making the man turn to him with a start. The man slid lower in his seat and took off his glasses to rub at his eyes.

"I'll manage," he answered in a small voice, leaning deeper into his seat.

"Well you've had it a bit harder than most, are you sure you don't want to take a short break?" Reigi asked. There was not much concern in his voice but he was feeling a bit wary of the doctor's state.

"I'm not delicate," muttered the man before rising from the stiff metal chair.

A few hours had passed since Kabuto was summoned to the interrogation room. The prisoners were still in their cells and they were all anxiously waiting for the godaime to arrive and give her verdict. He felt really tense and depressed. He really wished Naruto was in the room so he'd at least feel a bit better.

The door opened and many heads turned to the newcomer. A pink-haired woman, panting with flushed cheeks, strode hurriedly inside the room and scanned everyone's face.

"Where's Naruto?" her commanding voice barked at a nearby chuunin. The poor man nearly shrieked in surprise.

"She's in her room. Neji's guarding her," the man answered. When it looked like she was about to open her mouth again, he immediately added, "I don't know where it is! I'm only in the interrogation unit. You'll have to speak to Kiba about the location."

She looked satisfied enough with the answer and turned around to leave. She halted in her tracks when her eyes found Reigi and a startled look took over her serious face.

"Sasuke?"

Reigi gave a start at his father's name. The woman must be a former acquaintance of his father, he decided. Given the room's dim lighting and the brooding look he was sure was on his face, he couldn't blame her for mistaking his face for the bastard's but it's not like he had a reason to be happy about it.

"No," he defied strongly, glaring at the woman.

She appeared to be a bit taken aback by his rudeness but stepped closer to him and peered more closely at his face. Without warning, she pushed back his bangs and tucked his hair behind his ears.

"Oh! Naruto!" she said in awe. Reigi jerked back from her hands and looked at her as if she had grown another head. "You must be Naruto's son!"

"How'd you–?"

"You have Naruto's face," she explained, almost ecstatically. Reigi felt a warm feeling enter him and he couldn't help the tilt of his lips at the thought that he, who was always mistaken for his father, could resemble his mother. "What's your name?"

"Reigi, Uchiha Reigi," he answered immediately, standing from his seat. The woman took a step back when she found out how tall he was. Since the woman was barely reaching Kabuto's height, he managed to tower over her.

"You're very…tall," she exclaimed in a dumbfounded voice. "From which parent did you get that?"

The door opened before Reigi could even answer and Neji could be seen holding the door open for someone. Kabuto, his attention being pulled to the sudden entrance, made his way to the door. Naruto, wearing fresh clothes and blonde hair still damp from the showers, walked in with her head to the ground.

"Is everything okay?" Kabuto asked, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. Reigi's eye twitched and he trudged to the two.

"I want to speak to Shoudo," she said, the pale hand that was gripping the dark shirt she had don on trembling. "Maybe he has a message from Sasuke."

"Naruto?" the woman with pink hair intruded, pulling everyone's attention. Naruto finally looked up with shocked blue eyes.

"S-Sakura," she hesitantly said. Reigi perked up at the name, remembering that his mother once told him about a girl named Haruno Sakura that was in the same team as both her and Sasuke.

Sakura took a second to look Naruto over before she stepped to her and enveloped her frail frame in a warm hug. Naruto couldn't respond for a while, the shock taking its time in her fatigued state but she finally slid both hands behind her back and gripped it like a lifeline.

"What's happened to you?" Sakura asked, her voice low and full of sympathy. "What has that bastard done to you?"

"Too much to list in a day," she answered with light humor. Sakura pulled away and stared at Naruto's face.

"You look tired," she stated and took a step back. She brought a chakra-covered hand up and ran it lightly on Naruto's forehead before moving over her skull and running it down to her neck. Instanty, Naruto felt a little focused and lighter. "Feel better? It's a trick I learned a few months ago."

"Thanks Sakura," Naruto said. "I can really count on you."

"Naruto," Neji spoke up. "You shouldn't be around here for too long."

"I know," the blonde said with a sigh. "Sorry Sakura. It's not really a good time now but I really have a lot to talk to you about. There are a lot of things happening and I want to focus on getting it over and done with as soon as possible."

"Don't worry. I understand," Sakura replied with a smile and a nod. "I'll try my best to help in any way I can."

"You're already a big help," Naruto managed to counter before Neji stirred her to the door at the opposite side of the room. Naturally, Reigi and Kabuto tagged along with her.

The light felt blinding when Naruto stepped inside the stone-walled corridor. They made their way down a flight of stairs at the end and met with two heavy metal doors facing each other. Reigi pushed open the door on the right and the made their way down two more flights of stairs before reaching a hallway of doors, some open and some closed. Just as they were passing the first two doors, Shikamaru emerged from the fifth door.

"Ah, Neji! Why are–? Eh, Naruto? What're you doing here?" he asked with a troubled frown.

"I want to speak with Shoudo. He might have a message from Sasuke," Naruto explained, starting to feel nervous again. Shikamaru gave a nod before he stepped back into the room.

Naruto's heart clenched painfully at the sight of the two lying battered on the floor of their cell. A medic-nin was still in the process of healing a bleeding wound on the unconscious Ritsuko's forehead. Shoudo, who had been aimlessly staring at the ceiling, tried to sit up at the sight of the blonde. Naruto approached him and kneeled in front of the bars that separated them.

"Kabuto told me. What is it that you need to talk to me about?" Naruto asked urgently.

"_Do you like it here?_" Shoudo asked, his voice strangely deep and his eyes glazed. She felt her knees grow weak and her gut leave her. "_I have good reasons now because of you, the body containing the soul of my beloved. The leash on you, I'll never pass it to anyone no matter how much I loath the appearance that is parading on the outside. Have you noticed? I hate you._"

The sadness crept into her fear and tears streamed down her face.

"_The one I love is Naruto_," Shoudo finished before he turned slack and lost his consciousness. Naruto's lithe figure trembled before she eased herself on the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. Reigi crouched by her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

The room was silent; some of them had even held their breaths and was slowly exhaling it. Shikamaru was left speechless and could only order one of his men to check on the unconscious prisoner.

"Better move her out of here," Kabuto whispered to Reigi and the both of them helped the blonde to her feet before gently guiding her to the hallway. She wasn't crying anymore when they let her rest against the cold wall but the blank look in her eyes worried them.

"You okay, Naru-kaa-san?" asked Reigi worriedly, pulling back her bangs to have a better look of her face. Kabuto nudged on his shoulder and held out a napkin to him. Reigi took it and eyed it for a second before deeming it safe enough to wipe his mother's tears away. The young doctor would have rolled his eyes had the situation allowed him.

"I'm okay," Naruto answered, taking a few deep breaths.

Suddenly, everything was covered in pitch black and followed closely by the deafening sound of something exploding. Metals and Rubbles crashed together and many things occurred at once. Reigi's sturdy body helped shield her and hold her in place.

"Hold him down!" They could hear Inoichi scream. "The others take chase!"

Slowly, the dust begun to settle down and the entirety of the explosion looked clear. Naruto turned frantically around when she noticed something was amiss. The dread in her chest even managed to drain out the chaos of the background when they noticed that Ritsuko, the only prisoner they managed to hold down, was dead.

"Where's Kabuto?"

…

He blinked to focus his sight in the dimly lit room. His senses began returning along with his consciousness. The first thing he noticed was that someone had tied a cloth around his mouth and that he was on a bed. The second thing he noticed was something gripping around his ankles and wrists and he tried to tug at them but found his actions hindered. He struggled a bit before raising his chin to look above him. As he expected, each wrists were tied with a strip of cloth to the bedpost. He let out a small groan of frustration.

He did _not _want to die in a position like this. Whoever it was that had kidnapped him better only have torture in mind.

That reminded him: Who the hell was it that kidnapped him in that underground cell during the chaos? Maybe he had been mistaken for Naruto? Well, it's better him than Naruto. As long as the blonde is safe, it didn't matter if he had to take a few beatings.

That is, _if_ Naruto is safe.

He groaned again at the uncertainty of the situation. He needed to make sure she was okay dammit! Taking a deep breath, he tried struggling again but it only resulted in the cloth gripping harder on his limb.

"Hey, stop it," a voice suddenly spoke from one of the corners. He stopped his movements to look around but he could barely make out anything from his position on the bed and the lighting of the room. He heard footsteps approaching and waited with baited breath to see who it was. "You're going to stop blood from getting to your hands, Kabuto-sensei."

Shit.

He didn't need to see who it was to know anymore.

Shoudo took a seat by the bed and eyed him blankly. There were still scars on his face and body from the beating he had taken during the interrogation.

"I really intended to grab you, just so you don't think I'm stupid or blind," Shoudo said, easing closer to Kabuto. "It really sucks being in my position now and thinking what I'm about to do."

Kabuto grew alert at the words and the fact that Shoudo was taking out a small paper-wrapped package

"It's stimulant, for your information," Shoudo explained with a humorless laugh. "You're gonna hate it even though I'm the one taking it."

That said, he brought the paper up and tipped it into his mouth. He closed his eyes as he swallowed it and let his head hang to his chest as he waited for the drug to take its effect. Kabuto had a faint feeling as to what it really was and he didn't like it. He didn't like it at all. He tugged harder on his restraints and tried to twist away.

"It's useless," Shoudo said, pressing a trembling hand on his thighs. Kabuto whimpered, knowing it was about to start.

Slowly, Shoudo pulled away the white sheet he had covered the doctor with and Kabuto shuddered as his naked skin met the cool air of the room. Shoudo's grey eyes were unfocused and it made Kabuto even more scared and nervous.

"Damn, I'm hot already," Shoudo muttered, panting. Sweat was beginning to cover his forehead and his face was flushed. When the younger man began taking off his own clothes, Kabuto struggled even more. His whimpers grew louder at the sight of the man's hardening cock springing out of its confines.

"Your struggling is making me more aroused," Shoudo said with a pained expression. With a strong grip, he released Kabuto's ankles, parted his legs and slipped in between. "My conscience doesn't like this as much as you are. You know I hate homos."

Kabuto whimpered again when he felt a finger probe at his entrance.

"Orders are orders after all."

With that, two fingers pushed past the puckered hole at once and Kabuto's muffled scream filled the room. His whole body clenched and his back arched from the bed. Tears instantly clouded his vision and he pulled at his bounds. A second later, the fingers retreated and Kabuto slumped on the bed in pain.

"You're tight as expected," Shoudo said, rubbing the fingers that had abused the doctor. "It kind of hurts."

The older man tried to glare at his captor but gave up instantly when it proved to be too much effort for his aching body. The option of kicking the man from the bed was also hindered by the fact that his leg muscles felt cramp and were shuddering. Shoudo was unfazed by him as he leaned to the side and grabbed his discarded pants. After retrieving what he needed, he threw away his pants and held the item up for Kabuto to see.

"This is lube," he stated with a smile. "Just because I don't feel like preparing you."

Dark eyes widened at the meaning and he watched the younger man lather his rigid cock with lube in horror. Shoudo nearly seemed giddy as he positioned himself and pressed forward without a warning. The scream that tore from his throat was less piercing than his previous for the pain was too much that even his voice was not working properly. Tears streamed down the side of his face continuously. They were both panting when Shoudo had finally buried himself to the hilt inside the young doctor and was pausing to catch his breath.

"Fuck, you're tight," he said in a strained voice. "It's better than that whore's pussy."

Kabuto sobbed helplessly, his spine felt like it was on fire. He wouldn't be shocked if his passage was bleeding already. Shoudo stared at him until their eyes met before he leaned down and buried his face in the junction between Kabuto's shoulder and neck. Slowly, the younger man pulled out until only the head of his penis was in.

"I've always thought you were attractive."

The statement was met with a thrust and Kabuto's breath hitched before he whimpered in pain.

"With your pretty nape –"

Another thrust.

"– And your feminine frame."

A sharp thrust.

"If you were a girl, I'd totally hit on you."

Shoudo began to pick up the pace and Kabuto buried his face into the covers beneath him, too tired to fight the pain. His body was beginning to get used to the pain anyway and if he relaxed his muscle, the pain would surely lessen.

"You're submitting already?" the younger man asked with a smirk, holding the lean hips in place as he pummeled the sore passage without mercy. "I'm near."

There was no warning other than a groan that he managed to muffle into the pale shoulder before Kabuto was filled with a warm liquid. Kabuto twitched when he felt the man begin to rise and slowly pull himself out. He gave a shaky sigh but felt dread crawl up his skin when he saw the smirk on the man's face.

"Don't think it's over just yet."

A choked gasp escaped the doctor when the still hard cock pushed into him again. Shoudo continued to pound him until his back felt like it was going to break before he changed his angle and hit a spot that made Kabuto's body spasm and an electric jolt rush through his body an curl his toes. Another hit on that spot made him unconsciously moan.

"Found it," the gray-eyed man said in triumph, making sure every thrust hit that spot. With fascination, he watched the doctor's penis twitch to life and he quickened until he couldn't control anymore and came for the second time. Kabuto moaned at the feeling of the warm semen flowing in him. Precum was already dripping from his own cock and his face was flushed.

It was shameful to be aroused in that situation, Kabuto thought, but any sane man would have reacted the way he did from being assaulted at such a spot.

"Nice," Shoudo said with glee, running his finger on the underside of Kabuto's penis earning him a shudder and strangled moan. "Ready, Kabuto-sensei?"

As if he would ever be, Kabuto thought with a frown when he felt the man begin to thrust in again. He was beginning to feel the pleasures of having sex when Shoudo repeatedly hit his prostate until white spots began to fill his vision. The painful pleasure was fueled even more when Shoudo took hold of his stiff member and jerked it. Kabuto practically howled at the feeling. It continued for what felt like three minutes before the accumulated pleasure was too much to hold in for the doctor and he came with a long moan and a sob.

"T – too tight!" Shoudo gritted out before he spilled his load for the third time in the doctor. The man slumped tiredly on the doctor, both of them panting and sweaty. Once the younger man had collected enough energy, he rose to his knees and pulled out of the doctor. Kabuto moaned at the feeling of the cum dripping out his anus and embarrassingly noticed he was beginning to get hard again. Shoudo smirked but left it at that as he moved to untie the saliva-coated cloth around the doctor's mouth. "Scream and I'll castrate you."

As exciting as it was to see if Shoudo would hold up to his threat, Kabuto was too tired and numb to do anything.

"Why?" he asked after a while, his voice breaking up from all the screaming he had done. Instead of answering, the man leaned down and kissed him. It was merely a press of their lips but it was enough to make Kabuto's face flush a deep red. "Wh-what do you think you're doing?"

Shoudo smirked.

…

Neji stared at the passed out blonde on the sofa. The pale complexion was very distinct against the dark green fabric of the cushion under her head and the bad lighting of the room. The room felt eerily silent to him since he had been caught up in the frenzy just 5 minutes ago. Her son's sturdy form was slumped on the armchair adjacent to her and the makeshift blanket was falling past his waist.

Just a few minutes ago, both of them had wrestled with Naruto in an attempt to calm her until Sakura placed her under a jutsu that made her unconscious. Things began to move to another site as they let her rest. Reigi was adamant about being by her mother's side and even threatened to burn down the hokage tower when Tsunade had suggested that they might need him for consultation.

The male Hyuuga didn't really feel up to babysitting the brat while his hands were already full with Naruto but he stayed back with the blonde anyway, even when Tsunade had upgraded her security.

He was kind of glad that she wasn't conscious at the moment because if she was, then she wouldn't have agreed with the hokage's decision to prioritize the capture of Sasuke and his men rather than the search for her doctor. He felt kind of sorry for Kabuto because he knew the man was nice but when it came to it, they knew Naruto and Sasuke longer than anyone. No one there had ties with Kabuto enough that they'd give him any major concern over old matters.

Reigi shifted in his sleep, finally making the tablecloth that they had found as his makeshift blanket slip to the floor.

"Any news about Kabuto-sensei?" the young man asked in a low tone. Neji turned to him and saw that the man's eyes were still closed and that he hadn't moved from his sleeping position on the armchair.

"None at the moment," he replied curtly and left it at that.

"Where do you find the nearest toilet here?" asked Reigi after a while. "Nature is calling."

Neji's brow twitched but he answered anyway, "The guards outside should know."

With a nod, Reigi stood up and stretched his body. After loosening up more of his muscles, he walked to the door. "Watch Naru-kaa-san closely. Something happens to her and I won't have second thoughts about my earlier threat to that old hag."

"Goes without saying," Neji bit out immediately, frowning at the man's words. The sound of the hinges creaking and a dull thud was the only indication that the man had gone out. The Hyuuga wanted so much to sigh but it felt out of character for him, so he snorted instead. "You've got a troublesome son."

No reply greeted him, not that he expected anything. The gentle rise and fall of her chest made him stare longer than necessary but he felt calm now, knowing that the explosion in the underground prison had not physically harmed her.

He wondered though, why he was so worried over her state. He admired her for the man that had beat some sense into him and changed his life so drastically but the frail woman now lying pale on the sofa was nothing like the legacy Naruto left near twenty years ago. Yet, he couldn't just leave her. There was a strong sense of protectiveness over the blonde that gripped his heart, body and soul that night she had let her heart open for him to see the pain deep inside her. For some reasons, he felt as if he was the only person she had spilled her pent-up feelings to.

Taking the small pale hand into his, Neji rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. It was so fragile that he felt like he could break it with only a little pressure. This hand that had fought for their peace years ago was now stained with new pains that she bore alone. He brought it to his lips placed a light kiss. He could feel the hand quiver in his and the blonde's face turned to the side. She sucked in a shaky breath and gripped Neji's hand.

"Rei…" she said in a breathy tone. She whimpered in pain and her face scrunched up making Neji grow alert.

"Naruto? Oi, Naruto!" he tried calling out to her. She seemed to calm relatively and the grip on his hand loosened but she was panting and her face was flushed with sweat beading on her forehead. Neji looked around for a cloth to wipe it but when he moved away, the hand tightened around his. He looked back and saw that her blue eyes were open and watery.

"Kabuto…where is…he?" she said in between pants. He inwardly cursed at the fact that Naruto was going to go into a panic frenzy again and that Sakura was no longer around to calm her down. He bent on one knee at her side and looked her in the eyes.

"We haven't found him yet but everyone is doing their best," he said in a calm tone, hoping she would accept his answer without trouble. "You have to rest more."

The blue eyes just stared into his emotionless ones before she pulled her hand away. When it didn't look like she was going to start freaking out, he left her side to continue his search for the piece of cloth. His eyes turned to watch her regularly as he went about checking into every available space that the study room had. Naruto was staring at the empty armchair that Reigi had previously occupied but other than that, made nothing worth alarming to Neji. After pulling out the last of the drawers in the study desk and rummaging in it to find that there was nothing worth to be used for her, the Hyuuga knelt by her side again. Her dim eyes turned to him when he spoke.

"Do you need anything?" he asked. When she looked away, he could see her thinking over the question slowly.

"I need to know," she replied slowly, her eyes travelling back to the armchair.

"Know about what?" he asked.

"I can't just lie around without knowing about what's going on with the investigation. Everyone is looking out for me but no matter what, I'm the cause of everything. I need to start getting in charge," Naruto replied, her stare hardening and he could see the determination in her eyes. It was beginning to look like the skies they had lost those many years ago. "You can't deny me this time. I've just realized how it has been going on. I've been relying too much on Rei that it's hazing my views because I lost my life, my soul and I needed to hold on to something. Help me, white-eyes."

Neji was a bit taken-aback by the sudden fierceness but he wasn't going to let go of the chance to bring back the Naruto they knew. With a light smile, he offered his hand that she gripped firmly.

"Where to?" he asked as he pulled her up. She needed steadying and he was more than welcome to give. For now, he would be her pillar to stand behind her as she led to changes in Konoha again. Everyone would be anticipating.

"That old hag," she said, almost proudly. She picked up a cloak that hung on the back of sofa and was about to wear it when something glinted out of the corners of her eyes. "Before that…"

Neji turned from picking up his own cloak to see Naruto untying her hair before picking up something metal and sharp.

"Na–"

…

Sakura wiped the sweat that had formed on her forehead with the back of her hand. Some of her hair was stuck to her neck and she could feel the cold of the air on her sweat-covered back. The last of the victims from the explosion had been healed to the best that she could do and she was about to stand up and get some rest when the door to the ward opened suddenly and a chuunin ran inside.

"We need some medic nins outside! A new explosion occurred around the borders and many civilians are injured! They're calling many free medic nins to tend around the area! Please hurry!" The chuunin yelled, only scanning the room once before leaving to pass the notice around. Sakura grew alert and immediately left her post.

"Sako! You're in charge here!" she hollered to one of her pupils. An affirmative word was replied just as she was pulling open the door. Indeed, there was havoc in the hospital halls as many people tried to hurry to the site or pass the word around. She grabbed the nearest jounin, who was in a rush to deliver some medical supply to the site. "What's going on?"

"Are you a medic nin?" He asked to which she nodded. "Best we walk and talk."

Sakura nodded again and they both rushed to the hospital entrance.

"Ten minutes ago, a series of chain explosions erupted around the southwest borders. About five to six at most but it was medium explosions. Not enough to be noticed by people in the centre," he said. "The place though, is strategic. Many civilians were there because there was a wedding ceremony going on at its peak. The statistics currently show that 45 people have been reported dead and that more than 60 people are injured. The groom didn't make it either."

Sakura halted in her steps at that word but pushed herself to not bring any of her personal matters into her work. "Any suspects?"

"None at the moment. We believe that the bombs were placed a few days before when there were less people," said the jounin, leaping onto a roof. Sakura followed in tow and she finally noticed black smoke rising from near the high walls.

"We better hurry," she muttered, speeding up.

…

Reigi hurried his steps and cursed the wet stain on his pants. Someone needed to fix the damn sink and he reminded himself to tell that to the Hokage once he sees her. The two jounins were still standing guard by the door and he whispered the password and they eyed him warily before letting him in.

"Is it really okay?" was the first thing he heard upon entering and it made his heart race. Naru-kaa-san was awake already! His eyes immediately sought for his mother. The sight that greeted him though nearly made his jaw drop.

With lumps of blonde hair around her ankles and Neji fixing her bangs as much as he can with a scissor, a shorter-haired Uzumaki Naruto waved at him. Her hair was cut really short and the longest strand barely touched her shoulder while her bangs were fixed just so they barely past her eyelashes.

"W-w-what's going on?" he asked uncertainly.

"Is it…weird?"Naruto asked with a tilt of her head. Neji sighed and tried to work with that angle.

"It's not!" Reigi replied immediately because the way she was looking at him was so very cute and made him feel hot all over. "I-I-It looks great but why did you cut it?"

Naruto seemed a bit startled by the question and glanced at Neji before smiling mysteriously to her son. "I wonder why."

Reigi didn't like that look.

--------

A/N: Yeah~ Sasuke gay-ed Shoudo. If that is characteristically possible. What? It's not long enough?

Other than that,** lazeee an demented** wanted to summarize things up to this point. I'll try:

...Once the trio ran away from Sasuke, they went to Konoha, met up with Neji, freeload him for a while, saw Kiba, went to see the Hokage, spilled the beans to her, went back to Neji's place, explosion in Konoha reported the morning after, Tsunade moved them to a place near the Hokage tower, Catch up session with Kiba, unnecessary things happen, Shikamaru comes, Reigi bullies Kabuto, emo Sasuke plans his attack, continuation of Kabuto getting bullied, tea-brewing with Kabuto, Hokage visits with Iruka, Reigi gets a scolding, Iruka stays for the night, Kabuto gets interrogated, Kabuto goes emo next morning and nearly confesses to Naruto, jealous Reigi torments Kabuto, after breakfast they move to Iruka's house and meet his daughters, Kakashi appears and informs them that the ANBU team that was supposed to guard them had disappeared, Neji and Ino return to investigate, A crash in Iruka's house alerts them and suddenlt: RITSUKO!

Sorry, it wasn't really a serious summary but I'm not so good with summarizing things and it's pretty long.

...and yes! Thank you to everyone who are still continuing to read this. I'll try my best to write more. Like I said above, I'm in college now and thus, assignments from hell! Please read and review, even if to just say, 'you updated!' or 'what took you so eff-ing long?' because I'm in need of some lovin' right now.


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